Mango.
Fruit trees are of particular interest: we are not only talking about plants that can be of great use to us, for example in a garden or on a terrace thanks to the shade they provide, but which also produce fruit. suitable for consumption. And the best thing is that there is a huge variety of species, so many that since you probably don’t know which ones are native to the tropics, we’ll talk about them below.
And it is that tropical fruit trees are still very little known in the West. We know that there is mango, avocado… but very few others. The reality is that there are many, so here you have a selection of the most interesting.
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Lawyer (persian american)
Image – Flickr/Mauricio Mercadante
The avocado or avocado tree is a tree that grows wild in Mesoamerica. It can reach 20 meters in height with a trunk about 40 centimeters thick. The leaves are green, about 20 centimeters long, and have the midrib visible. It is a species that has bisexual flowers, but they open at different times of the day, so cross-pollination is necessary so that the fruits can form.
Its fruit is a berry which, depending on the variety, can be oval or pear-shaped.. It measures about 15 centimeters long by 10 centimeters wide and has a rough skin that is easy to remove.
The pulp or meat is yellowish and suitable for consumption. Usually, It is generally used as if it were a vegetable., because its flavor is quite reminiscent of hazelnuts, so it can be a little bitter if eaten as a fruit. In fact, I prefer to chop it and add it to a salad: it’s very good that way. For the rest, it supports the cold, but if there are frosts in your area, you must protect it.
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)
Breadfruit is native to Southeast Asia and Polynesia. It is a maximum of 20 meters high, but in cultivation it generally remains smaller, around 10 meters. The leaves are glossy dark green, oval and large.
A curious fact about this species is that although it produces male flowers first and female flowers later, pollination is not necessary for the fruit to form (but this is so that it has seeds). This fruit is rounded and weighs about 1kg, but can reach 6kg.
It is usually eaten when it is still green, because if it is very ripe it has practically no flavor. They can be roasted, roasted or boiled. It is not frost resistant.
Apple Cinnamon (annona cherimola)
Image – Wikimedia/Jan Helebrant
The cherimoya or English apple tree is native to South America. It reaches a height of 8 meters and develops a leafy crown. The flowers are hermaphroditic, speckled with yellow, and produce compound, rounded fruits with greenish skin.. The pulp is white, a little juicy, and contains black seeds of about 1 centimeter. Its taste is sweet.
It is a plant capable of withstanding light frosts, down to -3°C, as long as they are of short duration.
Guava (Psidium guajava)
The guava tree or guayabo is a rather small tree, which rarely reaches 10 meters in height. The trunk is not one of those that thickens too much either; indeed, it does not exceed 60 centimeters in diameter. But yes, you have to keep in mind that this one tends to twist. The leaves are green and elliptical in shape, and they also smell great.
Its flowers measure about 2 centimeters, and the fruits they produce are berries about 7 centimeters in diameter. These have a slightly acidic but very pleasant taste. It is not recommended to grow outdoors in cold climates, but it can withstand some light frosts (down to -3ºC) and occasionally if sheltered.
Longan (Dimocarpus longan)
Image – Flickr/Forest and Kim Starr
Called longan, longuián or dragon’s eye, it is a tropical fruit tree native to southern China and Indonesia. It reaches a height of 7 meters and has elliptical green leaves. The fruit is round and contains a single seed that measures about one centimeter in diameter.
It is eaten fresh, but it is normally used as an ingredient in certain recipes, such as soups or breakfasts. The tree tolerates cold wellbut it is not recommended to have it outside if it is freezing.
To manage (Mangifera indica)
The mango tree is one of the few tropical fruit trees that we know better. Indeed, it is possible to grow it in the warmer regions of the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands. And also, It is a plant of high ornamental value, and with a great capacity to produce many fruits.which have a sweet taste.
Although in its place of origin – India and Indochina – it can reach 40 meters in height, when it is cultivated it rarely exceeds 15 meters. Also, know that it produces many clusters of cream-colored flowers, which will later produce fruit. This usually has a greenish or reddish skin and a yellowish or orange pulp, which can be eaten fresh. Not frost resistant.
Mangosteen (garcinia mangosteen)
Image – Wikimedia/Michael Hermann
The mangosteen or mangosteen is a tropical fruit tree native to Southeast Asia. It reaches a height of 6 to 20 meters, and develops a rounded canopy populated by dense foliage, thus providing cool shade. The fruit is rounded, with purple skin and whitish pulp.. The latter has a sweet and sour taste and can be consumed fresh, although soft drinks are also made. Besides, if you ever go to a Thai restaurant, I advise you to order one of these fruits: it’s delicious.
The downside is that being tropical, its resistance to cold is nil. It can only be kept outdoors in climates where the temperature does not drop below 15°C.
pecan nuts (Carya illinoinensis)
The pecan or pecan nut is a deciduous tree believed to be native to the southeastern United States. It reaches 40 meters in height and has odd pinnate green leaves. The flowers gather in hanging inflorescences, and once pollinated they produce the fruit: the nut.
It can be eaten fresh from the plant, or as an ingredient in a recipe, be it ice cream, bread, vegetables or baked desserts. Frost resistant down to -12°C.
Papaya (Asimine triloba)
Image – Wikimedia/Plant Image Library
The papaya tree or Florida cherimoya as it is also called, is a tree native to the eastern United States. It has large leaves, up to 30 centimeters long, and does not exceed 6 meters in height.
Its flowers are dark red, very compact, and once pollinated they produce fruits whose skin separates easily.. The meat or pulp is creamy and has a somewhat sweet flavor. It is important to remove the seeds before consuming them, as they are poisonous.
Despite its tropical appearance, it is able to withstand frosts down to -18°C.
white sapote (Casimiroa edulis)
Image – Flickr/Sergio Brouillard
The white sapote is a tree native to Central America that reaches a height of 3 to 10 meters. It has a broad crown, populated by many compound leaves. The flowers are hermaphroditic, greenish yellow, and once pollinated, the fruit ripens, which is a drupe about 10 centimeters wide.. The pulp is white, sweet tasting, and usually contains about 5 seeds.
Although it is a tropical plant, it has adapted to live in a wide variety of climates. In reality, resists very well to frosts down to -4ºC.
Do you know of any other tropical fruit trees that we haven’t named?