This week we look at more of the interesting tropical fruit trees that can be grown in southern Florida. Ice Cream Bean (Inga edulis) It’s no mystery how this tree earned its common name: From the sweetness and texture of its popular fruit. Word about I. edulis got out so long ago that its exact…
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This week we continue our survey of the interesting tropical fruit species that can be grown in southern Florida. Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) This species is not only among the most ornamental of tropical fruit trees, but it is blessed with long life, strength and wind resistance. Because the sapodilla has been popular for many centuries,…
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This week we look at more of the interesting tropical fruit species that can be grown in southern Florida. Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) Right off the bat, we have a couple of confessions to make: Loquat is not a tropical fruit, and in spite of its specific epithet ‘japonica,’ it’s also not Japanese. The truth is…
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The topic of confusion over common names is too big to confine to just one article in this series. Accordingly, this week’s installment deals with two more fruit species that are also called sapotes. White Sapote (Casimiroa edulis) This tree, native from eastern Mexico to Costa Rica, has a long history in California, where it…
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This week’s installment on tropical fruit species deals with a subject which has been addressed in this space before—the confusion that can occur from relying on common names. What happens often is that a single species may have multiple common names, and that condition can develop even in a relatively small geographic area, particularly where…
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