Fruit Tree Description
ABIU
(Pouteria caimito)
Yellow fruit about the size of a tennis ball. Usually has a nipple on one end of the fruit. It is juicy with transparent flesh and a caramel like flavor. The tree is small to medium sized, 12 to 15 feet tall. It bears very heavily, usually in the winter time. Needs full sun and good drainage. Trees are fast growing and bear fruit in 2 to 3 years.
BILIMBI
(Averrhoa Bilimbi)
Close relative of the starfruit (see below). This fruit is shaped like a miniature cucumber and 2 to 3 inches long. It is yellow when ripe. Fruit is sour and used as a relish or for pickling. Tree is upright and decorative. Will get 15 to 20 feet and and 10 feet wide.
BLACKBERRY JAM FRUIT
(Randia formosa)
A bushy tree with fragrant white flowers. Fruits look like small feijoas, and are 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide. They really do taste like a blackberry jam.
BRAZILIAN CHERRY
(Eugenia dombeyi)
Fruit looks and tastes similar to a Bing Cherry. Very delicious. Small to medium sized bushy tree. Medium gowth rate, Usually bears in about three years. Starts bearing when small and bears profusely. Needs full sun and good drainage.
YELLOW JABOTICABA OR CABELLUDA
(Myrciaria glazioviana, often cofused with Eugenia tomentosa or Myrciaria glomerata)
Small bushy tree from Brazil. Fruits look like fuzzy orange marbles. They are juicy and tasty with an apricot-like flavor.
CHERIMOYA
(Annona cherimola)
Wide spreading tree to about 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide. Fruits have an excellent taste, texture, and fragrance. Well worth growing.
CHICO SAPOTE or SAPODILLA (Manilkara zapota)
This is a very sweet fruit, so much so it is sometimes called the "brown sugar" fruit. It is brown on the outside, looking a bit simiar to a kiwi. On the inside it is yellowish or brownish, soft, with a melting texture. The tree is very hardy and can grow in almost any soil or condition. It makes a good windbreak and is drought tolerant. The tree is `medium to large, slow growing. Likes full sun, but will take some shade.
CHOCOLATE SAPOTE or BLACK SAPOTE (Diospyros digyna)
This fruit is also called chocolate pudding fruit because it makes an excellent pudding that looks and tastes like a fine chocolate mousse. The tree is large and fast frowing. Bears in 3 to 4 years. Easy to grow. Two trees are needed to insure cross pollination.
COCOA or CHOCOLATE TREE (Theobroma cacao)
The seeds of this plant is what is used for making chocolate. The Aztecs revered it as a sacred plant. It is a beautiful small tree. The football shaped fruit pods hang from the trunk. The pods start green, turn yellow, then, orange, and then red. Pods of all these different colors hang at the same time, making the tree spectacular looking. Few people know that the seeds are surrounded by a delicious pulp. Likes filtered sunlight, but will also grow in full sun and is medium in growth rate.
COFFEE 'KONA' type
(Coffea arabica)
Small attractive tree. The flowers are very fragrant, and the tree is pretty in bloom and when fruiting. Likes filtered sunlight,but will grow also in full sun.
CURRY LEAF TREE
(Murraya koenigii)
Small attractive tree. The leaves are used in India in cooking. It is considered essential in making many sauces. The flowers are white and fragrant and it makes pretty red fruits.
DURIAN
(Durio zybethinus)
In Southeast Asia this is considered the king of fruits. So much so that in Thailand a worker will work all day to be able to buy one fruit. They are prized and quite expensive. Unfortunately in western culture they have gotten a bad reputation because of their strong odor. The fruit is almost the size of a basketball, light green, and very spiny. They are sweet with a custard like texture. The tree is large and likes some shade at first, and then full sun. It needs continuous consistent rain or watering. Does not like to dry out. It is a large tree that likes plenty of warmth.
EGGFRUIT, CANISTEL
(Pouteria campechiana)
This fruit is a bit bigger than an egg, orange on the outside and on the inside. It is dry and very sweet, kind of like a date. The tree is medium sized and fast growing. Fruits in about three years. The fruitcan be eaten out of hand and is also excellent dried.
GAMBOGE or FALSE MANGOSTEEN
(Garcinia xanthochymus)
This tree is a close relative of the mangosteen and is often mistakenly identfied as a mangosteen. Its leaves are however much longer than those of the mangosteen and droop down, making the tree very decorative. It makes a yelow fruit the size of a tennis ball, which is juicy and tart, but with an interesting flavor. The tree is large 30-40 feet tall, and likes full sun.
HAWAIIAN CHILI PEPPER TREE
(Capsicum anuum)
This little hot pepper is a local favorite. It grows on a small bushy tree that is 6 to 8 feet tall. The tree fruits heavily year round. The fruits are tasty and very hot.
JABOTICABA (Myrciaria caulifloura)
This unusual tree produces a fruit that looks and tastes similar to black grapes. The fruit is excellent out of hand or can be used any way that grapes are used. The fruit is produced right on the bark of the tree all up and down the branches. So it is an unusual sight.It is quite showy when in flower also. The flowers are white. The tree will eventually get to be 20-25 feet tall, but this takes a very long time as it is very slow growing. It comes into fruit in 6-8 years. Well worth the wait as it is a heavy bearing tree. Likes full sun and good drainage.
HYBRID JABOTICABA
(Myrciaria caulifloura X)
New hybrid type of Jaboticaba is much earlier bearing. Regular jaboticaba can take 8-10 years to fruit. This new hybrid can bear in only 3 years. Can be fruited in a pot. Cultural requirements same as regular jaboticaba above. Very rare new introduction.
JACKFRUIT
(Artocarpus heterophyllus)
Largest fruit of all. Fruits usually weigh 20 to 40 pounds, although fruits of 100 pounds have been recorded. The part that is eaten is the fleshy part surrounding the seed. The taste is often described as juicy fruit gum, but this does not do it justice. The seeds are also very tasty when boiled or roasted The tree is large 30-40 feet tall and fast growing. Produces in 3 to 5 years. Likes full sun and good drainage. Makes a good windbreak.
LANGSAT or LANSONES
(Lansium domesticum)
A very delicious fruit from Southeast Asia. The fruit grows in clusters like grapes but is yellow on the ouside. The taste has hints of both grape and orange. The tree is small to medium sized and prefers filtered sunlight. In Asia it is often grown under coconuts. It is slow growin and takes 7 to 10 years to fruit.
LONGAN
(Euphoria longana)
A close relative of the lychee. This fruit is smaller than the lychee, brown on the outside, and has more of a spicy taste than the lychee. The tree is medium to large sized. It likes full sun and good drainage. Takes 3 to 5 years to bear.
LONGKONG or DOKONG
(Lansium domesticum)
This is an improved and much larger version of the above langsat. It also does not contain any bitterness in the latex or around the seeds as does the langsat. Also it has very few seeds, is almost seedless, and fruits faster than the langsat. In Thailand where it was bred it often sells for three times the amount per kilo of what langsat sells for.
LYCHEE (Litchi chinensis)
The most prized fruit of China. It is so tasty that it's hard to stop eating.Air layered starts take about 3 years to start bearing. Large tree likes full sun and good drainage. Plant 30 feet apart.
MALABAR CHESTNUT
(Pachira aquatica)
This nut really does taste like chestnuts. The large green pods hold 20 to 30 nuts and split open when ripe. This small attractive tree has a swollen base and is easy and fast to grow. Likes full sun. Will tolerate standing water. Plant 20 feet apart.
MAMEY SAPOTE
(Pouteria sapota)
Largest of the sapotes, can reach the size of a football. Most loved fruit of Cuba. The taste is like pumpkin pie filling, moist and sweet. The fruits hand directly from the trunk of the tree. A medium sized tree. Plant 25 feet apart. Likes full sun and good drainage.
LEMON DROP MANGOSTEEN OR MAMEYITO (Rheedia edulis)
A close relative of the mangosteen, this fruit is orange and the size of a quarter. The taste is sweet and tangy. The tree is small and attractive. Not as slow growing as the mangosteen. Will bare in about 5 years. Plant 20 feet apart.
MANGOSTEEN
(Garcinia mangostana)
Known as the queen of fruits, it is certainly a very delicious and sought after fruit. It is the size of a tennis ball, purple on the ouside and white on the inside. It has sections like a tangerine. The taste is difficult to describe as it is differet from other fruits. The texture is melting, and like the lychee, it is hard to stop eating them. The tree is small and slow growing. It takes 7 to 10 years to start bearing. It likes filtered sunlight until it is about 3 feet tall, and then full sun. Plant 25 to 30 feet apart.
MIRACLE FRUIT
(Synsepalum dulcificum)
A small bushy tree producing a red fruit that looks like a coffe berry. The fruit, which contains the chemical miraculin, has a miraculous effect on the mouth. After eating this fruit everything, especially sour things, taste much better. Kind of like the world through rose colored glasses. The plant is slow growing but will start fruiting when only 1 foot tall. Likes full or partial sun and good drainage. Plant 6 feet apart.
MONSTERA (Monstera deliciosa)
Often recognized as a house plant whose leaves have a "swiss cheese" look, it produces a fruit that tastes similar to pineapple. The fruit must be totally ripe (orange colored) as otherwise it is very irritant. The plant is a climber, but can be grown as a ground cover.
WHITE MOUNTAIN APPLE or WHITE MALAY APPLE
(Syzigium malaccense)
This is a very rare form of mountain apple, which is usually red on exterior and pear shaped. This rare form of the fruit is white on exterior and interior and round, and with a similar texture to pears, but crunchy like an apple. It is sweet and a great thirst quencher. The tree is small to medium sized and produces beautiful white flowers which carpet the ground. Likes full sun and good drainage. Plant 25 feet apart.
NARANJILLA
(Solanum quitoense)
This small orange fruit is used for making a popular drink in Peru. The tree is very attractive with very large leaves covered with a purple velvet. Likes cool weather and filtered sunlight. Plant 10 to 12 feet apart.
NONI (Morinda citrifolia)
Rapidly becoming famous for its medicinal properties, this attractive tree produces a yellow fruit about the size of a lemon. When ripe it has a strong cheesy smell. Likes coastal areas. Plant in full or partial sun, 10 to 12 feet apart.
PAPAYA 'SUNRISE'
Yellow solo type papaya.
PAPAYA 'SUNSET', also called KAPOHO SOLO
Red solo type papaya.
PAPAYA 'WAIMANALO DWARF
Yellow solo type papaya on a dwarf tree.
PASSIONFRUITS: Giant passionfruit (Passiflora quadrangularis)
This passionfruit is the size of a football. No kidding! It is very sweet, and one fruit can make 2 glasses of juice. The plant is a vine so needs a trellis, fence, or tree to climb on.
GOLDEN APPLE
(Passiflora laurifolia)
Like a lilikoi but orange in color, softer skin, and much sweeter. This is a vine so needs support. Flowers are beautiful.
PEANUT BUTTER FRUIT
(Bunchosia argentea)
Small bushy tree produces fruit that really taste like peanut butter. The fruits are orange when ripe and the size of a peanut. The tree likes full sun but can take some shade. Plant 12 feet apart. Good to pick when the fruits are just starting to turn orange but still hard. Let ripen fully indoors. Fully ripe when totally soft.
RAMBUTAN
(Nephelium lappaceum)
A close cousin of the lychee. It is more tropical than the lychee. The fruit is red or yellow and has funny looking hairy appendages. The taste is somewhat similar, but the texture is more firm than the lychee. The tree is more of a consistent bearer than the lychee. The tree is medium sized and likes full sun and good drainage. Needs wind protection. Plant 25 to 30 feet apart.
MYSORE RASPBERRY
(Rubus niveus)
The only raspberry that does well in all parts of Hawaii. It is a black raspberry that is truly tropical and a heavy barer. Taste is very good. Suggest training on wire,trellis or fence. Likes morning sun and afternoon shade. Plant 6 to 8 feet apart.
ROLLINIA
(Rollinia deliciosa)
A relative of the cherimoya, this fruit is much bigger and has the added advantage that it is self pollinating. It has a wonderful pudding taste and consistency. This fruit ought to be much more widely planted. It is a small tree, preferring some shade when little, then can go into full sun. Tolerates standing water. Plant 15 feet apart.
SALAK, BALI, SNAKESKIN FRUIT (Salacca edulis)
Brown thin reptilian like skin encloses very delicious crunchy fruit. Fruits are size of a chicken egg or larger. Taste is like a cross between a crunchy sweet apple and a pineapple. This palm grows to 10 feet tall, is very thorny, and produces fruits in large clusters. Plants are self pollinating. Likes filtered sunlight.
SALAK, THAI
(Salacca wallichiana)
Similar to the salak or snakeskin fruit from Bali, but this one is red skinned on the outside. This palm grows to 15 feet tall, is very thorny, and produces fruits in large clusters. Plants require a pollinator as male and female are on seperate plants
SANTOL
(Sandoricum koetjape)
A fruit from the Philipines about the size of an orange and with a flavor reminiscent of citrus. It is a large shade tree, and the leaves turn color like in temperate climat trees. Plant 30 to 35 feet apart in full sun with good drainage.
SOURSOP
(Annona muricatum)
Another relative of the cherimoya, this one is larger and with some fibers. In Mexico this fruit is widely used in juices and in excellent ice creams. The tree is small, likes full sun, good drainage. Plant 15 feet apart.
STARAPPLE
(Chrysophyllum cainito)
This is a close relative of the Abiu. It has a wonderful milkshake flavor. The fruits are purple or green. When sliced open they have a star design in the center. The tree is very beautiful. The leaves have a bronze color on the under side. This tree takes 3 to 5 years to bear. It is large and likes full sun and good drainage. Plant 25 to 30 feet apart.
STARFRUIT
(Averrhoa carambola)
So called because when cut the fruit has a 5 pointed star shape. This is a great thirst quencher. This small to medium sized tree is very heavy bearing. Starts fruting in 2 to 3 years. Plant in full sun in wind protected area with good drainage, 15 to 20 fee apart.
SURINAM CHERRY
(Eugenia uniflora)
Small bushy tree produces lantern shaped cherries much loved by children. Great as a hedge. Plant in full sun good drainage 4 to 8 feet apart.
TAMARIND
(Tamarindus indica)
This large tree produces a bean pod which contains inside of it a jelly that is at the same time sweet and tart. Very popular in Asia for sauces. In South America it is used in a very thirst quenching drink. Very tolerant of sea breeze and wind spray. Plant 30 to 35 feet apart in full sun good drainage.
TREE TOMATO, TAMARILLO (Cyphomandra betacea)
A close relative of the tomato, but grows on a small bushy tree. The fuit is sweeter than a tomato and tastes like a cross betwen a tomato and a papaya. Likes highland conditions. Bares in only one year. Prefers some shade. Plant 8 to 10 feet apart.