[NAFEX] Winter Hardy Tropicals

Claude Sweet hortventures at cox.net
Mon Feb 26 19:24:55 EST 2007


I would like to see the definitions people are using to describe 
tropical, subtropical and temperate fruiting plants.

Asimia triloba is native to the Eastern half of the United States, from 
the Gulf Coastal plain to the Great Lakes.  In my opinion, this is not a 
tropical plant and has a winter chilling requirement of several hundred 
hours.

Edible bananas are tropical, but the winter hardy species are not, in my 
opinion, edible and distinctly different enough to be classified as 
hardy subtropical, but definitely not a temperate fruit.

The edible passion fruit is a frost sensitive subtropical vine with many 
flowering species tending to be tropical. The Maypop is more of a warm 
zone temperate fruit of marginal value.

Claude Sweet
San Diego, CA

Stephen Sadler wrote:

>I thought, too, of Pawpaws, as well as Maypop, to add to this list.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nafex-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
>[mailto:nafex-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of BekeeprTop at aol.com
>Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 2:19 PM
>To: nafex at lists.ibiblio.org
>Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Winter Hardy Tropicals
>
>Geoffrey,
>First of all, you're missing PawPaw, which is a tropical plant in every 
>respect.  Except it is rock hardy and matures its mango-like fruits in all
>sorts of 
>zone 5 climates.  Why not grow it, that really does grow tropical fruits in 
>z5?
>
>The NAFEX person to ask about bamboo is Rick Valley of Oregon.  
>
>I've seen a banana growing in Arlington, MA, contact me if you want the 
>grower's phone # or email.  
>
>I believe the owner of Oregon Exotics told me Ponicirus trifoliata is the 
>ONLY citrus of any description that is truly deciduous -meaning its smart
>enough 
>to drop its leaves when fall comes - can anyone contradict that?  Grapefruit
>
>are 69 cents this week at my grocery store.  The best houseplant I ever had
>was 
>a calamondin orange, I bartered for it when it was 10 yrs old, and then I 
>owned it for another approx. 15 years before it died.  It required 2 qts of
>water 
>every day or a gallon every day.   It had a windowsill of its own with best 
>sun exposure but bloomed and bore its heart out, and I sometimes feel like 
>getting another.   It was far better than any lemon for flavoring, like as a
>
>topping on broccoli.  
>
>Let us know what you find out about bamboo and fruits from banana and palm
>Charlie Paradise
>
>
>In a message dated 2/26/07 4:53:06 PM, Gtolle0709 at wowway.com writes:
>
>  
>

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