Category: Biodiversity

White sapote made me wait longer than almost anything else in the ground here, seven years before I got a single fruit off it. The Basics White sapote, Casimiroa edulis, is native to Mexico and Central America and, despite the name, isn’t related to the other ‘sapotes’ we grow, like mamey or chico sapote. It’s…

Yerba mate is one of the few things we grow here purely to drink, and it came with one of my favorite origin legends of anything in the food forest. The Basics Yerba mate, Ilex paraguariensis, is a tree in the holly family, Aquifoliaceae, that can reach around 40 feet given the chance, though it’s…

Ylang-ylang gave me more trouble finding the right spot for it than almost any other tree here, which says more about the smell than the tree itself. The Basics Ylang-ylang, Cananga odorata, is in the custard apple family, Annonaceae, which puts it in the same family as soursop and rollinia, even though it’s grown for…

With how many citrus varieties there are to choose from, it’s genuinely hard deciding which ones are worth the space, and this one made the cut. The Basics Haruka is a Japanese citrus variety in the family Rutaceae, a cross first discovered in Ehime prefecture in southern Japan. Origin and Habitat Developed and grown in…

These trees canopy over the outdoor dining area at the Hau Tree Lanai at Kaimana Beach, one of my favorite spots in Hawaii, so I planted ours with that image in mind. The Basics Hau, Hibiscus tiliaceus, is a tree in the mallow family, Malvaceae. Origin and Habitat Native and widely naturalized throughout the Pacific,…

One of our nurse trees, planted for shade and wind protection more than food, though it earns its unruly reputation. The Basics Ice cream bean, Inga edulis, is a fast-growing tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. Origin and Habitat Native to South America, particularly the Amazon basin, where it’s widely used in agroforestry systems. What…

I had no idea until this one that there are hundreds of different kinds of jaboticaba out there. The Basics Jaboticaba refers to several Plinia species in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Ours is the watermelon white variety. Origin and Habitat Native to Brazil, where it’s a beloved backyard fruit tree. What It Looks Like Famous…

One of the older established trees on the property, already about 40 feet tall a few years back. The Basics Jacaranda, Jacaranda mimosifolia, is a flowering tree in the family Bignoniaceae. Origin and Habitat Native to South America, particularly Argentina and Bolivia, and now planted as a street and ornamental tree in warm climates worldwide.…

The one most people already know, even if half our other Artocarpus trees are total mysteries to visitors. The Basics Jackfruit, Artocarpus heterophyllus, is a large tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae. Origin and Habitat Native to South and Southeast Asia, particularly the rainforests of the Western Ghats in India. What It Looks Like A…

Apparently it’s the favorite fruit of bonobos, which is a fact I bring up more than I probably should. The Basics Junglesop, Anonidium mannii, is a fruit tree in the family Annonaceae — the same family as soursop and rollinia. Origin and Habitat Native to the jungles of West and Central Africa. What It Looks…