You can't make something what its not--at least not without a lot of work. Instead of looking at other zones and getting discouraged because those plants aren't ideally suited to your location, focus on finding what you can grow. Sometimes, you find that you just need to look at things a little differently or that you need to search a little harder for the right variety. For example, palmetto can be used as heart of palm and is as good as any I have ever tasted. Why not keep it as part of the food forest system by selectively harvesting and eating it?
Also, don't buy into the idea that a food forest is not any work. My perspective on 9b has always been that we can grow anything as long as we are willing to put in the work to grow it. One of the biggest flaws in food forest designs in my opinion (even among big name youtubers) is not providing or maintaining enough light for good fruit production.
Fruits native to your part of the state include, Florida paw paws, persimmon, muscadine grapes, blackberry, blueberry, plum, hickory, maypop passion fruit and mulberry. Many of these can be used as rootstocks for improved varieties. I would encourage you to try Asian persimmon (on american roots), Scarlet Beauty Plum (on native plum roots), Ison, Supreme, and other muscadine grapes, Lake Emerald and Tari's Burgundy are bunch type grapes that make nice juice, Pakistani or other improved mulberry (some may need grafting), Loquat should also do well for you if it gets good drainage, peruvian apple and opuntia cactus are more cold hardy than Dragon fruit and might do better in your location. Some kinds of avocado will also fruit in your zone. Finally, if you have a place that gets full sun, sugarcane would be a great addition. Just make sure to get a cane juicer (see thread on this forum).
I am sure that other people will have great suggestions. I have tried to stick with things that won't require zone pushing. I would encourage you to checkout the Florida Fruit Geek--Craig Hepworth. He has a lot of stuf that would be relavent to your location.