Fruit Trees

Tropical fruit trees provide a reliable source of food, often during times of the year when food is scarce. Once established, trees can bear fruit even as environmental conditions fluctuate drastically and thus contribute to farm resiliency. Fruit trees, once established, require less labor than annual crops. Most fruit tree seed is viable only for a short time, and therefore are not always in stock.

  1. Cherimoya Annona cherimola

    Cherimoya, Cerimolia, Yuructira

    The cherimoya species is thought to have originated from the inter-Andean valleys of Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia.

  2. Atemoya Annona squamosa x Annona cherimola

    Atemoya

    Atemoya is a fast-growing tree up to 9 m tall. It is a hybrid of the cherimoya (Annona cherimola) and the sugar apple (Annona squamosa). The fruits are up to 10 cm in diameter and weigh up to 2 kg, sweet, and most often eaten fresh, in juice, or as a desert.

  3. Soursop Annona muricata

    Soursop, Guanabana, Huanaba, Corossol

    Soursop is a tropical, low branching and shrubby tree to 10 m in height. Soursop fruits are basically oval shaped, up to 30 cm long and 15 cm wide, weighing up to 7 kg. The least acidic varieties are sometimes consumed fresh or as part of a desert. More typically soursop fruit is processed into...

  4. Sugar Apple Annona squamosa

    Sugar Apple, Sweetsop, Anon, Ata, Sharifa, Sitaphal

    Sugar apple is a drought-tolerant tree, growing to 6 m in height, and is the most widely grown of the Annonas. The sweet fruit is eaten fresh and can be used in beverages, ice cream and milkshakes.

  5. Starfruit Averrhoa carambola

    Starfruit, Balimbing, Vinagrillo, Zibline, Tirguro

    Starfruit is a medium to large sized tree, growing to 9 m in height, which produces abundant 5-8 ridged fruit from all parts of the plant. The fruits are yellow to yellow-orange, angled longitudinally, and can be up to 15 cm long and 9 cm wide. When cut in cross section the pieces are star shaped...

  6. Tamarind Tamarindus indica

    Tamarind

    Tamarind is an attractive, evergreen, nitrogen fixing tree, growing to 30 m in height, and best adapted to semi-arid conditions. The sweet-tart pulp from the pod is eaten fresh, used as an ingredient in cooking, or made into a refreshing drink. Tamarind wood is used for lumber, firewood, and high...

  7. Jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus

    Jackfruit

    Jackfruit is famous for producing the world's largest tree-borne fruit. Fruits typically weigh between 4.5 to 20 kgs, but have been reported up to 50 kilograms. The trees can grow to 21 m in height. A large portion of the fruit is edible with high nutritional value, fruits can be eaten green as a...

  8. Loquat Eriobotrya japonica

    Loquat, Japanese Plum, Japanese Medlar

    Loquat is a subtropical or tropical high altitude fruit tree growing to 9 m in height. Loquats are most often grown for their fruit, but can be used for timber. The fruits are most often eaten fresh from the tree, cooked into deserts, or made into jam.

  9. Guava Psidium guajava

    Guava, Lemon Guava

    Guava is a small evergreen tree to 10 m in height with smooth, thin, flaking bark. The fruit is round, generally yellow and up to 10 cm in diameter. The fruit is eaten fresh or made into juice, jam or a thick guava paste.

  10. Canistel Pouteria campechiana

    Canistel, Egg Fruit, Yellow Sapote

    Canistel is an evergreen tree typically growing to 8 m but can grow to 30 m. The fruit is yellow and up to 28 cm long and 7 cm wide. The tree and fruit contain a sticky latex and the fruit must be allowed to ripen fully before eating.

  11. Naranjilla Solanum quitoense

    Naranjilla, Lulo

    Naranjilla is a thorny, perennial plant, that can reach 2.5 m in height, producing yellowish-orange fruits in a similar fashion to tomatoes. The berries have a subacid flavor and are used to make juices, jams, jellies, and flavoring for ice cream or sherbet.

  12. Tree Tomato Cyphomandra betacea

    Tree Tomato, Tamarillo, Arbol De Tomate

    Tree tomatoes are small, half-woody, fast growing, solanaceous trees reaching 3 to 5.5 m in height that are native to South American highlands. Tree tomatoes are edible and can be consumed either as a fruit or vegetable. In the tropics, tree tomatoes do best at elevations between 1500 and 2800...

  13. Papaya Carica papaya

    Papaya, Pawpaw, Melon Tree

    Papaya is not actually a tree, but a large herbaceous perennial that can grow to 10 m in height. The fruits are born in clusters just below the point where the leaves emerge from the upper part of the stem. The fruits can be up to 50 cm long and 20 cm wide and have a thick, yellow to orange...

  14. Black Sapote Diospyros digyna

    Black Sapote, Zapote, Black Persimmon

    Black sapote is a tall, attractive, evergreen tree growing to 25 m in height. It bears round fruit up to 5 cm in diameter, containing custard like, dark, sweet flesh, which is consumed fresh.

  15. Surinam Cherry Eugenia uniflora

    Surinam Cherry, Brazil Cherry, Brazilian Cherry, Cayenne Cherry, Pitanga, Pendanga, Guinda

    Surinam cherry is a small to mid-sized shrub or small tree, up to 7.5 m in height, that produces small red fruit. This attractive plant makes a good hedge and the ripe fruits can be eaten straight from the bush. The fruit has a thin skin, the flesh is orange-red, very juicy and has a somewhat...

  16. Barbados Cherry Malpighia punicifolia (syn. Malpighia glabra)

    Barbados Cherry, West Indian Cherry, Acerola

    Barbados Cherry is a large bushy shrub or small tree native to the Lesser Antilles Islands and neighboring northern South America. Mature trees can exist in areas where temperatures are as low as 28 F (-2.2C) but young seedlings cannot tolerate freezing.

  17. Sapodilla Manilkara zapota

    Sapodilla, Chicle, Naseberry

    The Sapodilla is a fairly slow-growing, upright tree to 18 m (60 ft) or more in height. It is strong and wind-resistant, rich in white, gummy latex. Its leaves are alternate and evergreen, arranging themselves at the tops of each branch. The fruit may be nearly round, oval, or conical in shape....

  18. Jaboticaba Myrciaria cauliflora

    Jaboticaba

    Native to Brazil, Jaboticabas grow at elevations from sea-level to 3,000 ft and are generally sensitive to frost according to varieties.

  19. Strawberry Tree Muntingia calabura

    Strawberry Tree, Jamaican Cherry, Capulin Blanco, Panamaberry, Jam Fruit

    The Strawberry tree is a fast growing evergreen tree to 13 m in height. The trees bear abundant small red berries that are eaten fresh. Strawberry trees are also used for landscaping and firewood.

  20. Purple Passionfruit Passiflora edulis var. edulis

    Purple Passionfruit, Purple Granadilla

    Purple Passionfruit is native to South America from southern Brazil southward to northern Argentina. It has been well established commercially in Brazil and is now grown in many areas of the subtropics or in the mid-elevation tropics worldwide. A related form, the more tropical Yellow...

  21. Yellow Passionfruit Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa

    Yellow Passionfruit

    Yellow passionfruit is a perennial climbing vine, up to 15 m in length, bearing fruits up to 7 cm in diameter. The pulp and seeds may be eaten fresh or the seeds may be removed to eat or use in beverages. Yellow passionfruit is adapted to a more tropical and lowland climate than the purple...

  22. Cattley Guava Psidium cattleianum

    Cattley Guava, Purple Guava, Calcutta Guava, Strawberry Guava, Chinese Guava

    Cattley guava is a small evergreen tree to 10 m in height with smooth, thin, flaking bark. The small fruit is red or yellow and up to 4 cm in diameter. The fruits are eaten fresh, used for jam, and the plant is sometimes used as an ornamental.

  23. Buffalo Thorn Ziziphus abyssinica

    Buffalo Thorn, Jujube, Catch Thorn, Kankhande

    Buffalo thorn is a thorny, bushy shrub or small tree of semi-arid climates, growing to 12 m in height. It is used for its edible fruit and livestock browsing. The tree is good bee forage, and makes good firewood, charcoal, fence posts and furniture. Because of its thorns and tangled branches, the...

  24. Chinese Jujube Ziziphus jujuba

    Chinese Jujube, Texas Olive, Chinese Date Plum

    Chinese jujube is a large shrub or small, somewhat thorny tree to 15 m in height. The fruit is oval, up to 3 cm in diameter and usually consumed fresh. Chinese jujube is adapted to more temperate climates than the Indian jujube (Z. mauritiana).

  25. Indian Jujube Ziziphus mauritiana

    Indian Jujube, Chinese Date, Chinese Apple, Ber, Dessert Apple

    Indian jujube can be a bushy shrub or a tree, drought tolerant, with or without thorns, up to 12 m in height. The ripe fruits are typically 1 cm in diameter; selected varieties may have fruits up to 6 cm long and 4 cm wide, and are usually consumed raw.

  26. Inca nut Plukenetia volubilis

    Inca nut, Inca Peanut, Sacha Inchi, Sacha Peanut, Mountain Peanut

    Inca nut is a semi-woody, perennial, vining plant with large (~10 cm wide), heart-shaped leaves. It is monoecious, with individual plants having both male and female flowers. Each inflorescence (group of flowers on a plant stem) has one or two female flowers and about 60 male flowers. Successful...

  27. Baobab Adansonia digitata

    Baobob, African Baobab, Cream Of Tartar Tree, Monkey Bread Tree, Upside Down Tree

    Baobab trees are large, robust trees that originate from Africa and are found in arid to semi-arid areas. The trees typically grow up to 20-30 meters (m) tall with a diameter of 2-10 m. The tree is used for food, fodder, shelter, and shade. Baobab trees typically grow as solitary individuals and...

  28. Noni Morinda citrifolia

    Noni, Indian Mulberry

    Noni is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 10 m in height. It is mainly used for medicinal purposes although the unpleasant smelling fruit is sometimes eaten.

  29. Biriba Rollinia mucosa

    biriba, Wild Sweet Sop, Wild Cashina, Anona, Wild Sugar Apple

    Biriba is a semi-deciduous tree, up to 10m in height, that thrives in hot, humid weather, and is related to the Annonas (Soursop, Custard Apple, Atemoya). The fruit, up to 15 cm in diameter, is sweet and creamy, and typically eaten fresh.

  30. Custard Apple Annona reticulata

    Custard Apple, Sugar Apple, Anona, Bullock's Heart, Anona Colorada, Corazón, Noi Nong, Nona Kapri, Sarikaya

    Custard apple is a medium sized, semi-deciduous tree, up to 10 m in height, with large yellow-brown custard textured fruit. The fruit can be up to 15 cm in diameter, has a sweet flavor, and is usually consumed fresh.