The Tropical Fruit Forum

Nick's Edibles has a few of the more common and desirable varieties listed for sale, but not Bangkok Lemon. Xain's World is a much longer drive, but he has a huge selection of grafted jackfruit, plus a lot of advice on the practical aspects of choosing the right variety and growing them.

Bangkok Lemon is a really good classic jackfruit flavor (with a very large fruit) but it can be a little funky or overly fruity. You might want to consider some other options like Orange Crush or Black Gold as well.

Does it have to be grafted? They grow pretty true to seed and I think Mike at Trees N More still has a few seedling Bangkok Lemon trees in inventory.

I feel so tempted to drive there and try it. I love the idea of a truly native fruit tree. I wonder if it's ok to dig up a root sucker from the mother tree to grow? In the interest of maintenance, of course.

I'm growing both and even though my DH tree is not mature, I ate plenty of them last season and I was surprised. I personally enjoy the Dwarf Hawaiian eating experience but the unreserved recommendation given by many to grow it surprised me. The flavor is strong, sweet and delicious but somewhat gamey and definitely more fibrous than many eaters may be willing to accept. Dwarf Hawaiian has the stringiest, most fibrous texture of the modern mango cultivars I have tasted. That doesn't mean the Dwarf Hawaiian fiber is overwhelming, but it means that folks accustomed to smooth and fiber free mangoes are going to wonder how this mango was allowed to join the country club. The fruit is on the smaller side and Dwarf Hawaiian originates genetically from mangoes that do not enjoy a universal level of acceptance (Julie, Turpentine, etc). I think it fruits slightly earlier in the season than Pickering.

The Pickering fruit is larger and less fibrous. Pickering may have some coconut flavor but nothing too strong. Eating quality can vary, I have had outstanding Pickering fruit and quite a few that were only average in flavor and sweetness. Overall I consider Pickering to be pleasant, sweet, and delicious classic mango flavor that can rise even higher on a good day. The Pickering flavor will be more familiar and have wider appeal.

If Fruit Punch mango is a well-behaved and domesticated fruit, then Dwarf Hawaiian is the untamed primal experience straight from the jungle. Dwarf Hawaiian strikes me as closer to a wild type mango with small fruit, moderate fiber, and deep, earthy flavor. Dwarf Hawaiian shares some characteristics with Julie, Bombay and even the Turpentine mango. This is not a beginner mango with wide appeal, but something you learn to love further along the mango journey. I actually enjoy the body and bite of the flesh, it tastes strongly of very ripe nectarine with some added funk and a coconut background. If the Fruit Punch mango is Budweiser Beer, then Dwarf Hawaiian is a shot of Rye Whiskey.

In my yard, Pickering grows more vigorously and has required more pruning. If I had to plant just one, I think I would go with Dwarf Hawaiian because of the stronger coconut flavor and the negatives don't bother me. If I am recommending for someone else's yard, then I suggest Pickering.

A lot of my trees are taking damage right now from insects. Mostly mango, but some others. I don't have any pesticides on the lawn and the ants got out of control. I could see aphids or white scale or thrips on a lot of the dead leaves of my Canna Lilies and some coconut palms that are buried in undergrowth. I can see tiny white insects flying around before sunset and lots of moth and caterpillar activity.

I ordered some organic insecticides (Pyrethrin and Spinosad) and applied them to the affected trees with a pump sprayer. I also started spraying the ant mounds with the pyrethrin. It works great but doesn't last that long. I'm not sure exactly which insects I have compared to you but I can see improvement from the spraying already and I will continue to hit the affected trees until it's gone.

Tanglefoot on the tree trunks also helped but that's not enough on its own. I also got caught up on my fertilizers, iron and calcium. I tried to cover all the bases where somebody with more expertise might be able to isolate one factor.

Are you sure those are TR Hovey? Mine have purple leaf stems, it's very striking and beautiful. I know some describe it as a dwarf but it grows like crazy for me and puts out an insane amount of fruit.

CC, the seeds in mine were loose (come out clean) like yours seem to be (Rieneke). All the others you pictured looked to have seeds tightly packed and surrounded by flesh. Do you think it's exclusive to the Rieneke?

Not really, I just got lucky the way I cut that one. All the seeds are covered in a slimy seed jacket, regardless of variety. Sometimes the seed adheres more or less to that jacket, and that jacket adheres more or less to the adjacent fruit. Varieties with more body will be a little easier to cut and deseed. Normally I just cut the fruit along the equator, then scoop out the entire central seed core with a spoon.

Thank you for the excellent and detailed review! I hope they arrive in Florida supermarkets soon.

Your criticisms are valid, but is the tree actually overrated? Nobody farms Jamaican cherry. There are only 2 varieties. It's a reliable starter tree for beginners who need a tree that grows and fruits quickly, but that's about it. Most people eventually pull the tree out to plant more satisfying fare. It's a good pioneer species that produces shade and plenty of vegetation to mulch while you figure out the rest of your food forest, and that's how I've seen it (accurately) rated.

I would choose Maria Black avocado and Ice Cream mango. Both are compact growers and very tasty. I struggled with the Wurtz avocado - it never fruited after 5 years. Alternative mango choices would include Honey Kiss and Pickering if you have concerns about low production or disease with Ice Cream.

Tice is my favorite mulberry for flavor. It tastes like grape jam and the fruit are large. The leaves are huge and so is the tree!

Sounds exciting. Available at HEB in Texas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUjZFAuRzLc

The vine looks amazing, densely foliated and full of huge fruit!

In this video, the host talks to Sam from Everoak Farm about Roselle for a few minutes. It starts on the standard variety and then gets into white and black variants.

https://youtu.be/Q7epJCUb640?si=YnSTJay0Ya4ZWTHF&t=2115

He says he got his seeds from "Seed The Stars":

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1888591143/15-black-roselle-seeds-hibiscus

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1355927330/15-white-roselle-seeds-florida-cranberry

Cody Cove also has some early and late Roselle varieties:

https://codycovefarm.com/?s=roselle