If you are searching for suitable fruit and nut trees for a similar climate then this lengthy list may just spark your interest. This food forest is situated on the border of warm temperate and subtropical climate zones. It is only ten kilometres from the NSW coastline and in a river valley,
Of course we have some failures but it has been surprising what subtropical trees will grow on our north facing slope. Indeed our Apple and Apricot trees struggle the most because our winters have insufficient chill factor. I hope the large pics assist with identification.
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| Persimmon Fuju (Diospyros variety) (right) and Apple trees in the lowest, therefore coldest in winter, south west corner. Fuju is a dwarf variety of Persimmon that does not need bletting. We also grow Tropical Apple (Anna), Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples. We grow Crab Apple (Malus Golden Hornet) as a universal pollinator. It is extremely slow growing. |
This is the lowest and coolest spot on our block. The Tropical Apple (at back), Granny Smith Apple and Pink Lady Apple [shown right) struggle in this climate but do produce small fruit.
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| Chinese Raisin Tree. I keep top pruning this small tree so I can reach its 'raisins'. ............................................................................................... |
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| Acerola or Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) |
The Acerola loves the climate and the birds love its fruit. The taste of Vitamin C bursts in the mouth. Yummy even when scarred by bird pecks. Our neighbour's tree has grown six metres tall.
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| Atherton Almond |
A friend produces plenty of large blue round nuts on his Atherton Almond tree. Here's hoping. This will grow into a medium sized tree. It is growing under the Scots Pines on our west and will also shield us from hot sunny summers.
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| Seedling Mango |
We grew this from seed. Already it has produced five fruit but last season the dry summer caused fruit drop. It appears to be dwarf but we will wait and see. We also grow a Bowen Special Mango (Kensington Pride) and keep it pruned low and spreading. A Dwarf Mango is also pruned but seems more affected by rain on its flowers.
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| Saba Nut or Malabar Chestnut |
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| Saba Nut or Malabar Chestnut |
The orange sized pods of tasty nuts are a treat for our birds and need netting. Seedlings appear under the tree and must be transplanted or destroyed.
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| White Mulberry |
This White Mulberry is one of our first plantings. the fruit is always sweet. At first the birds did not recognise the white fruit but that has changed! In tropical countries the trees are coppiced to produce flushes of leaves to be sold as a green vegetable. They are not bitter and quite tasty. We should never lack for food when we know the abundance around us.
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| Pruned Hicks Fancy Mulberry |
We also grow a Dwarf Black Mulberry, a Dwarf Red Shahtoot Mulberry and Mulberry Hicks Fancy which is said to bear red fruit prolifically. This I am yet to see.
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| White Sapote |
Deep in the growth of our first White Sapote Tree. Much of the fruit drops. Pick firm and ripen inside. The taste is similar to Custard Apple. We have grown a few trees from seed. They are not water demanding and easily pruned. The canopy is umbrella like when pruned. The plant pictured is coming into flower in our mild Autumn.
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| Banana (Cavendish) Circle |
Almost on the block when our land was developed from the block above these plants continually produce with little care. The easiest way to harvest a ripe bunch is to cut the tree down and hang the almost ripe bunch under cover.
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| Late fruiting Valencia Orange (Citrus sinensis Valencia) |
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| Valencia Orange on a terrace |
We have mulched the above terrace with nitrogen collecting Casuarina branches. This tree holds its fruit into late Summer. This tree is pictured in late Autumn with a new crop.
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| Abiu |
One of our South American derived Abiu (Pouteria caimito) trees continually dies back from the cold. This tree requires extra water and feed in dry periods but keeps its leaves. Let's hope it fruits its 'delicious caramel flavoured fruit'. The fruit is said to ripen December to July. We have two to aid pollination.
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Ambarella, (Spondias dulcis)(Hog Plum) |
The early fruits are pretty fibrous. We hope fruit quality improves. The tree is holding its leaves longer and longer as it matures and also because our winters are milder because of climate change.
The fruit and leaves are eaten in Asia cuisine. We made a delicious curry in 2018 using a You Tube recipe.
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Amla (Phyllanthus emblica - Wikipedia) |
Our tthree year old planting has never fruited but grows on strongly in our wetter weather. It is in a well drained position.
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| Blood Orange - small tree with fruit |
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| Blueberry in pot |
I am hoping that by growing this Blueberry in a pot we can control the depredations of birds and also control the acidity of the soil. Blueberries need a low Ph. Our coffee grounds should do the trick.
The climate is perfect and Blueberry farms abound in our area. Local Blueberry farms are netted and use artificial fertiliser.
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| Brazil Cherry |
The slightly resinous fruit is best eaten very ripe and that can mean picking early and allowing to ripen indoors. The fruit has great burst of Vitamin C in the mouth. We have a few small trees and find they can differ in time of fruiting because of location. They are much loved by the bees.
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Peanut Butter Fruit (Bunchosia argentea) grow readily from seed and regularly produce a few fruits best picked firm and allowed to ripen away from birds and bugs. It doesn't really taste like peanut butter although the fruit has that consistency. The fruit ripens in late summer.
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| Cape Gooseberry |
We have a problem with fruit fly but the fruit is sweet when raw and even better when it caramelises in a fruit sauce.
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| Carambola - Kary seedling (Star Fruit) |
Carambola fruits prolifically. The fruit and leaves can be used a chicken feed. Use as a fruit or a green vegetable in salads, stirfries or stews. It is also very decorative in flower and fruit. Seeds germinate easily.
Try:
Sweet and Spicy Carambola Chips
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| Carambola (Star Fruit) |
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| Cassava Root |
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| Cassava Root exposed |
Bake the roots as chips, boil and mash the roots or cook the leaves which are inedible when raw. Always cook Cassava. This plant is so productive. In this climate we pile prunings on other sticks to prevent the prunings rooting.
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| Cassava Bush |
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The Cherimoya fruits more productively than the Custard Apple in this climate. At least one tree does. The other seedling trees haven't yet fruited.
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| Cherry Guava |
I prefer Cherry type guavas to the larger types. This was a self seedling and produces small red cherry sized fruits.
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| Coffee Bush and berries |
Coffee bushes flourish and grow easily from seed. We are yet to process a crop of berries.
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| Cranberry Hibiscus can grow metres high |
Cranberry Hibiscus is so useful in salads. It has a Lemon Sorrel type flavour.
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| Cumquat |
A favourite recipe: Stew chopped, unpeeled Cumquats with sugar to make a fruit sauce. We grow two types of Cumquats.
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| Custard Apple |
Our seedling Custard Apple likes this shaded spot and is growing steadily.
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| Custard Apple |
Our ten year old tree is really to take off. However, the tree is not as productive here as our Cherimoya.
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| Custard Apple |
Our Custard Apple trees are slow growing and produce only a few fruit each season. Cherimoya is more productive and I prefer Cherimoya's slightly lemony flavour.
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| Davidson Plum beneath Red Cedar |
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| Davidson Plum |
Davidson Plum is perhaps one of the best jam producing local fruit. The larger trees here are of a NSW variety. I have planted Queensland varieties underneath. I am told the Qld variety will be sweeter.
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| Dragon Fruit (White Flesh) |
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| Dwarf Black Mulberry |
This tree is slow to grow and fruit but the fruit is regular Mulberry size. Prune after every flush of fruit.
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| Dwarf Mango |
Even Dwarf Mangoes can grow tall so I have been pruning out the top quite severely. This tree lost its incipient fruit in our recent summer dry spell.
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| Dwarf Mulberry |
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| Dwarf Peach |
Grown from a seed supplied by a neighbour I am hoping for large white peaches if I can control the Queensland Fruit Fly. It seems to fruit well in this climate.
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| Grapefruit with pumpkin vine |
We have a white and a pink variety of Grapefruit. We are searching for more uses for the abundant crops.
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| Edible Hibiscus (Smooth Leaf variety) |
More palatable than the hairy variety of Edible Hibiscus this plant can only be propagated from cuttings. Caterpillars love its leaves.
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| Elderberry |
Elderberry fruit should be cooked. It makes excellent pies. The flowers can be coated in pancake batter and fried. Of course you can make wine. Said to be a spreading plant I have found the it easy to control.
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| Feijoa |
A small seedling/ Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana) grows easily from seeds. The fruit requires protection from Queensland Fruit Fly.
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| Guava |
This is a Hawaiian Guava (Psidium guajava). Some folk love the taste. Apparently the aroma changes according to variety. I would only use in jams or cooking. Guavas are such an undemanding plant.
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| Grumichama (We have Gold and Black forms) Saba Nut trunk at back |
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| Grumichama in background and Saba Nut (Malabar Chestnut) in foreground. |
This Gold Grumichma produces small cherry-like, gold fruit that are very sweet. The birds love them so we pick early in the day. The fruit is soft and won't store for long and therefore won't be found in the stores. I believe the Grumhicama is related to citrus. Our Gold Grumichama produces more fruit than our Black Grumichama growing alongside yet the fruit tastes the same. These bushes grow easily from seed.
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| White Guava (self seeded) |
This small Cream Guava is a favourite of our birds and Flying Foxes and me.
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| Cream Guava |
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| Cherry Guava ((Mexican Cream)) |
Small and cream coloured when ripe. Best eaten before fully ripe. This variety has small relatively soft seeds.
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| Pruned Hicks Fancy Mulberry in front of Black Mulberry |
I hope by pruning these Mulberries severely I will have small trees to net to protect the fruit from birds rather than a large tree with little fruit left for us.
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| Jaboticaba (Myciaria cauliflora) (Small leaf variety) under Ambarella |
The birds have now discovered Jaboticaba fruit. The fruit is produced directly on the trunk of this tree. An Ambarella overhangs this plant.
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| Jaboticaba Fruit |
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| Jaboticaba |
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| Jack Fruit |
Unfortunately we have never been able to harvest ripe Jackfruit in this climate. However, we use the raw fruit as a meat substitute in curry recipes.
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| Herbert River Cherry |
Our three year old Herbert River Cherries flourish and produce their bunches of small tart berries. We prune the tops out regularly. They grow well in the shade of ornamental Melaleucas.
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| Kiwi Fruit |
I am waiting the maturity of a Male Kiwi Fruit to pollinate this female Kiwi fruit.
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| Male Kiwi Fruit |
Our Male Kiwi Fruit is two years in our ground but slow to grow.
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| Large Leaf Jaboticaba in centre |
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| Lemon Villa Franca |
This Villa Franca Lemon seems most resistant to distorting fungal diseases. It's very productive.
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| Lemonade |
Our Lemonade Tree always produces a good crop of fruit.
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| Longan |
This Longan fruited again this year but in the middle of a dry period the sweet fruit failed to plump up. Longans are said to be more cold resistant than Lychees although our Lychees flourish in our climate.
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| Loquat |
So far this Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) tree has produced one fruit despite its numerous flowers.
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| New Lychee foliage in a mild Autumn |
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| Macadamia Nut |
I am clearing undergrowth away from our three Macadamia integrifolia (918 and Pinkalicious) trees to make the collection of fruit easier. Our one pink flowered variety is the most productive and also most ornamental. Three seedling trees (self sown and transplanted) are growing on.
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| Mango seedling |
Already producing fruit this small seedling lost its last summer crop because of our dry period. We also have a dwarf (still not small) mango and a large Bowen Mango overhangs our yard but mostly feeds fruitbats. We cover the developing mangoes with plastic milk containers for protection from bats and birds.
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| Mamey Sapote (Pouteria sapota) in centre of photo |
Yet to fruit our Mamey Sapote reaches above surrounding small trees. It is a strong tree with large sweet fruit that are said to taste of pumpkin pie.
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| Mandarine |
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| Mountain Paw Paw |
I have not found the fruit of the Mountain Paw Paw in our climate worth bothering with. The trees shoot from any pruning left on the ground. The Mountain Paw Paw grows well but the fruits are hard and certainly not Papaya (Hawaiian Paw Paw) size. Perhaps we should try eating the green fruits in a salad. The leaves are ornamental.
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| Meyer Lemon Fruit |
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| Meyer Lemon Tree |
Our Meyer Lemon receives less water than our other lemon trees. The fruit is quite resistant to fungus diseases but not as plentiful as Villa Franca and Eureka varieties.
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| Moringa (Drumstick Tree) Branch hangs over a Pineapple plant |
Our Moringa Trees are pruned to keep them low and bushy. This tree produces flowers but not fruit.
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| Natal Plum |
Natal Plum grows well and fruits a little but produces only a few fruit.
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| Olive, 7 year seedling |
I suspect the location of this tree beneath a tall Bloodwood robs this tree of moisture.
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| Olive |
We have picked a handful of Olives but we have yet to master the preservation process.
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| Panama Berry. It tastes of boiled lollies and unfortunately the birds have discovered this. |
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| Pecan Nut |
Pruned when young these Pecan Trees are still getting away from me. They grow 30m or more.
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| Pecan Nut |
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| Valencia Orange |
Our Valencia Orange is a heavy bearer and holds its fruit late into the summer.
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| Jelly Palm or Wine Palm |
This Jelly Palm two years in our ground and is starting to grow well.
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| Espaliered Pear in need of a prune |
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| Espaliered Pear |
This espalier is slow to lose its leaves. Our winter is too warm this year. We also have a Nashi or Asian Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) which I have seen fruiting locally although ours seems loath to shed its leaves in Autumn. I hope we have enough winter chill. may need a cross pollinator, a Williams Pear.
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| Persimmon |
Four metres high this Fuyu Persimmon flourishes and has produced a few fruit.
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| Two years planted Pitomba |
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Two years in our ground, this Pitomba (Eugenia luschnathiana) is slow to grow but healthy.
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| Seedling White Peach |
Self seeded, this White Peach has been transplanted. It bears well. A yellow fleshed peach grows nearby. The lesson is to transplant seedlings and see what they produce. We also have a seedling Avocado that has fruited after six years.
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| Plum (Santa Rosa) |
This Japanese Plum (Santa Rosa) was bought to cross pollinate with the Satsuma Japanese Plum. However, this tree flowers a little after the Satsuma. The Satsuma is covered in plums every year. The Santa Rosa bears only a handful of fruit.
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| Dwarf Gulf Gold Plum, flowering in midwinter. |
We also grow the Gulf Gold Plum which requires 350 hours of chill and sets fruit well in this climate. It does have some dwarfing characteristics.
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| Plumcot |
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| Pluot |
This Pluot tree and its neighbouring Plumcot tree are yet to hold any mature fruit. They flower sparsely.
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| Pomegranate seedling centre, Camellia sinensis right |
We grew a number of pomegranates from seed. This small tree is maturing well. On its right is a Tea Camellia (Camellia sinensis). We have Pomegranate 'Wonderful'
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| Pomello (Citrus maxima) Nam Roi imported from Vietnam. It is a seedless variety. |
We planted Pomellos to extend our citrus fruiting season but late fruiting Valencia Oranges hang on trees longer. However, our Pomello fruit has a clean light taste more like a grapfruit. The trees don't produce an overabundance of fruit. Seeds germinate and grow on easily so we are waiting to see what the seedling fruit is like. The fruit is the size of two large grapefruit but contains within the thick pith an orange sized fruit. It is meant to be a seedless variety but isn't.
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| Pruned Black Mulberry |
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| Pruned Black Mulberry |
We can net our heavily pruned mulberries.
They grow on our boundary and the neighbour's goats adore the prunings that drop over the fence.
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| Rollinia |
In our ground for two years this Rollinia has flowered but not fruited. Our climate may be too cool.
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| Saba Nut (Malabar Chestnut) |
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| Yellow Sapote |
This tropical tree has yet to fruit.
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| Soursop has fruit somewhat like a Custard Apple. The leaves are used to make a herbal tea. |
Our Soursop tree produced two fruit. The young plant suffered our mild winter breezes and lost all its leaves but is now retaining leaves and growing ever stronger.
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| Star Gooseberry |
Incorrectly sold to us as a Bilimbi, Star Gooseberry (Phyllanthus acidus) fruit can be pickled. The tree is small and the limbs are brittle.
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| Tamarillo or Tree Tomato (Solanum betaceum) in front of Galangal |
Tamarillos are one of our main crops. We grow on a steady supply of seedlings grown from seed and planted out each year. Life expectancy is one or two years.
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| Tamarillo or Tree Tomato |
We use our Tamarillo trees like Tomato bushes. The fruit substitutes for Tomatoes in vegetable dishes but are also sweet enough to eat as a fruit. The small trees last a couple of seasons only and it is wise to continually have younger plants growing on from seed (very easy to germinate) ready for planting out when the rains appear. We find the yellow and the red fruits are almost indistinguishable in flavor although some folk swear the yellow is better. More Info
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| Tangerine |
The Tangerine (Citrus reticulata) produces less fruit than an orange but is very ornamental and tasty.
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| Tropical Apricot (Eugenia myrcianthes) |
This bushy Tropical Apricot tree has flowered but not fruited. It is not the tree 'developed in 1953 from a Kitembilla, (Dovyalis hebecarpa) and Abyssinian gooseberry'. Tropical apricot - Fruitipedia
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| Wax Jambu (Syzigium jambolana) |
Our first Wax Jambu died, perhaps of old age. This tree has cropped once. A Yam Bean straggles into its low branches.
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| White Mulberry |
The fruit is sweet and plentiful. We net this tree to protect its fruit from Bower Birds.
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| Kwai Muk |
This Jack Fruit relative loves our climate. The fruit are small but have a nice acidity.
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This Meyer lemon is smaller than other lemon varieties. It's fruit is rarely blemished.
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| Small Wampee fruit tree. |
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Cherimoya (Annano cherimola)fruit developing through winter. This is a cold hardy type of Custard Apple that sets fruit on subtropical climates. Other Custard Apples fruit better in subtropical to tropical climates.
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| Dwarf Mangosteen seedling |
This tree may not fruit because the other Mangosteen we have is a slightly different variety and they need cross pollination, I am told. Let's see.
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| Fig Tree in Autumn with red self-seeded Salvia |
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| Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) |
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| One of our seedling (Diospyros digyna) or Black Sapotes (Bernicker). It is already fruiting. |
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| Phalsa |
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| Cherry Guava |
Our Walnut (Juglans regia) is seven yerars old and 1.5m high. It grows well but slowly and is a tree for the next generation.
A Hawaiian Lime produces a limited number of limes but our Australian Sweet Lime produces in abundance.
We have one surviving Quince (Smyrna) Cydonia oblonga. It has set fruit but Fruit Fly ruined the few fruit. We are hoping it will fruit better as it matures. Growing a Quince in this climate is certainly an experiment. We also have a Chinese Quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) seedling that may fruit better in this its preferred climate. It requires full sun and we are advised to prune half of it by half, each year.
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| Chinese Quince seedling branches |
Our Dwarf Madrono Mangosteen is dioecious so will probably not set fruit without the correct pollinator. We do have other Mangosteens of a different variety that might do the trick. Let's hope.
I thought our Araca Boi (Eugenia stipitata) had failed but it still grows slowly under a Mango. It is a rare bush growing to 2.5m. I hope the fruit are worth waiting for. A Curry Tree growiung near is much more productive.
Amla (Phyllanthus emblica) is still a small three year tree yet to fruit. The fruit is said to have 30x the vitamin C of an orange.
We have a few seedling Avocados (Persea americana) one of which is starting to fruit. Commercial varieties plants are expensive to buy and seem to succumb to fungus diseases more easily than some seedling trees.
We grow Allocasuarina torulosa (Forest Oak) as a cut and drop plant. It is also ornamental particularly after a rain shower.
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| Miracle Fruit bush |
Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) derives from Africa and grows around 4m tall. Chewing its fruit affects the taste buds and high acid foods eaten afterwards taste sweeter for up to two hours.
The Beach Cherry (Eugenia reinwardtiana) is a tall attractive Australian shrub with edible fruit.
Ceylon Hill Gooseberry (Rhodomyrtus tomantosa) produces a few sweet berries to be eaten fresh or in jams. The plant is not very productive in Fernmount.
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A Nectarine (Goldmine) always fruits well but needs Fruit Fly protection. It has medium sized fruit. Another Nectarine (Low Chill) (Sunwright) also produces well.
Cherry of The Rio Grande (Eugenia aggregata) produces a crop of cherry like small dark fruit.
Star Apple (Chrysophyllum caimito) is a West Indian native. It can be green or purple skinned.The fruit when cut displays a star pattern. Each year it grows a liitle taller and more resistant to our cold winter winds.
Paw Paw (Carica papaya) fruits well but needs spraying against fungal disease.
We grow a Black Opal Grape and White Tropical Grapes. Birds are the biggest threat to fruit, especially Bower Birds.
Our native Paperbarks (Melaleuca quinquinervia) trees are self seeded in our swampy section and provide habitat for birds and insects.
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