North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Claude Sweet <hortventures@cox.net>]

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@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of BekeeprTop@aol.com
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 2:19 PM
To: nafex@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@wowway.com writes: