Birthday Present Ideas for my Tropical Dad

[happyisland]

Hey everybody,

So my Dad, who recently bought a house in St. Petersburg, FL, (zone 10a?), is having a birthday later this month. Good news:

1) he loves fruits (when I was visiting last I helped him plant a pickering mango and a murcot tangerine). Now he's stoked and is talking about ripping out some scraggly oaks to make room for more mangoes, citrus, etc. He grew up in South Florida and had a few huge Haden trees that he loved.

2) he lives close enough to Jene's Tropicals (www.tropicalfruit.com) that I could order something from them for delivery.

So here's my question, what would y'all recommend that would be dwarf/semi dwarf and would either be a mango or something more exotic. Must be available from Jene's or someplace similar nearby, and must be tasty!

He already has two big avocados, a great old white grapefruit, a pickering mango, a murcott tangerine, and another orange tree.

[bsbullie]

While St. Pete is technically 10a, I would not discount the fact it is very close to being 9b.

As to what type of plant, well, that is tough.  What may be tasty to one may not be to another.  To me, and assuming he is proactive in the care of the plants, I would look into jakfruit, lychee, atemoya or possibly another variety of mango.

[mangomandan]

A Minneola tangelo might be good; they have a nice rich taste and lots of juice.  (unless his other orange tree is actually this)

[adiel]

Get him a Persimmon tree! 

You can get them here:

http://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/Persimmons.htm


Adiel

[RodneyS]

Dragonfruit
Sapodilla
Starfruit
Mangosteen
Jaboticaba
Banana

[zands]

2 different kinds of bananas. Get  that banana patch going ASAP! Plus they give a tropical look to a place. Can even plant out front. Plantains if he likes them, cooked of course.

[fruitlovers]

2 different kinds of bananas. Get  that banana patch going ASAP! Plus they give a tropical look to a place. Can even plant out front. Plantains if he likes them, cooked of course.

Think about what fruits your dad likes to eat the most, then get him one of those.
Oscar

[Tropicdude]

Lots of stuff you could get,  many good ones mentioned, for example the bananas could be varieties you do not find in a store like manzano,   the Dragon fruit will fit easy in any yard, Miracle fruit is bush like, and another mango like Nam Doc Mai, , Lemon Zest, or Coconut cream.  put in a few Papaya trees.

[lycheeluva]

jaboticaba is very exotic, great tasting, fruits a few times a year, fruits directly on the trunk , is very ornamental, and doesnt get much more than 1o feet and jenes sells them.

plus every garden must have mauritius lychee. jenes sells that too.

[happyisland]

Hey thanks for the great ideas, everybody. I'm now leaning toward jaboticaba or an exotic banana - does anyone have a good banana variety recommendation?

I'm gonna call Jene's in a bit, and get the ball rolling.

[mangomandan]

Pisang raja is a nice one, among the "older" varieties.   "PISANG RAJA - A wonderful Indian variety with a yellow-orange flesh and sweet delectable flavor. Once you have tasted this baby you're hooked on this 14 ft. delicacy. Firm and delectable with an unforgettable taste."  (quoted from Going Bananas web site)

 Goldfinger very good too.

[bsbullie]

Hey thanks for the great ideas, everybody. I'm now leaning toward jaboticaba or an exotic banana - does anyone have a good banana variety recommendation?

I'm gonna call Jene's in a bit, and get the ball rolling.

Ice Cream, Raja Puri and many other bananas would work with the cooler temps (red bananas are really good taste-wise and very different).  Contact going Bananas http://www.going-bananas.com/ to see what would work best in the area.

Me personally, would be hesitant with jaboticaba unless you know your dad will like them.  While many love the fruit, it is not a fruit that I have found that is loved by the majority.  They will also require AA LOT or water to grow and fruit to they maximum capabilities and be the most healthy.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Hey everybody,

So my Dad, who recently bought a house in St. Petersburg, FL, (zone 10a?), is having a birthday later this month. Good news:

1) he loves fruits (when I was visiting last I helped him plant a pickering mango and a murcot tangerine). Now he's stoked and is talking about ripping out some scraggly oaks to make room for more mangoes, citrus, etc. He grew up in South Florida and had a few huge Haden trees that he loved.

2) he lives close enough to Jene's Tropicals (www.tropicalfruit.com) that I could order something from them for delivery.

So here's my question, what would y'all recommend that would be dwarf/semi dwarf and would either be a mango or something more exotic. Must be available from Jene's or someplace similar nearby, and must be tasty!

He already has two big avocados, a great old white grapefruit, a pickering mango, a murcott tangerine, and another orange tree.

HAHAHA!

YOU will most likely overlook the Red jaboticaba, hybrid variety...It is hands down the best semi dwarf tree you can plant in FL.  (most parts at least!  )

Contact me if you want details!

[bsbullie]

Hey everybody,

So my Dad, who recently bought a house in St. Petersburg, FL, (zone 10a?), is having a birthday later this month. Good news:

1) he loves fruits (when I was visiting last I helped him plant a pickering mango and a murcot tangerine). Now he's stoked and is talking about ripping out some scraggly oaks to make room for more mangoes, citrus, etc. He grew up in South Florida and had a few huge Haden trees that he loved.

2) he lives close enough to Jene's Tropicals (www.tropicalfruit.com) that I could order something from them for delivery.

So here's my question, what would y'all recommend that would be dwarf/semi dwarf and would either be a mango or something more exotic. Must be available from Jene's or someplace similar nearby, and must be tasty!

He already has two big avocados, a great old white grapefruit, a pickering mango, a murcott tangerine, and another orange tree.

HAHAHA!

YOU will most likely overlook the Red jaboticaba, hybrid variety...It is hands down the best semi dwarf tree you can plant in FL.  (most parts at least!  )

Contact me if you want details!

your opinion, which when comes to things such as food and more specifically tropical fruit, is very subjective.