Category: Biodiversity

This is a plant that flavors someone else’s drink rather than making one of its own, which is a strange kind of job for a tree, but a good one. The Basics Rosita de cacao, Quararibea funebris, is a fragrant flowering tree in the mallow family, Malvaceae, despite having cacao right there in its common…

A cross between tangerine and pomelo, which is basically what happens when citrus breeders can’t decide between two good fruits and just combine them. The Basics Tangelo, Citrus × tangelo, is a citrus hybrid in the family Rutaceae. Origin and Habitat A cultivated cross rather than a wild species, developed from tangerine and pomelo (or…

This is a tree that shows up in cuisines on nearly every continent, and yet in our own yard it’s about as quiet and background as a tree gets. The Basics Tamarind, Tamarindus indica, is a large, slow-growing tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, the same family as our nitrogen-fixing nurse trees like sesbania and…

This is the lime I actually walk out to the yard for, the one that’s in more dishes here than any other citrus. The Basics Tahitian lime, Citrus × latifolia, also called Persian or Bearss lime, is a seedless citrus hybrid in the family Rutaceae. Origin and Habitat Its exact origin is murky, likely a…

This one’s grown for history more than flavor, which is a first for the citrus collection here. The Basics Tachibana, Citrus tachibana, is a small citrus shrub in the family Rutaceae, like our kafir lime and the rest of the citrus collection, and along with Okinawa’s shikwaasaa, one of the only two citrus species genuinely…

Supposedly tastes like dried apples and chocolate, which is a combination I still need to confirm for myself. The Basics Spanish tamarind, Vangueria madagascariensis, also called voa vanga, is a shrub or small tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, and despite the name has no relation to true tamarind. Origin and Habitat Native to Madagascar…

First one I ever tasted, honestly, wasn’t impressed, but I’m not ready to write the whole species off yet. The Basics Surinam cherry, Eugenia uniflora, is a shrub or small tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, the same family as our mountain apple. Origin and Habitat Native to the eastern coast of South America, including…

Soursop is the anchor of our whole Annona corner, and getting a fiberless variety felt like a deliberate upgrade rather than luck. The Basics Soursop, Annona muricata, is a tropical fruit tree in the custard apple family, Annonaceae. Origin and Habitat Native to the tropical Americas and the Caribbean, now grown throughout the tropics worldwide.…

This tiny citrus punches way above its size, both in flavor and, apparently, in the health research it’s attracted back in Japan. The Basics Shikwaasaa, Citrus depressa, also called hirami lemon, is a small citrus in the family Rutaceae. Origin and Habitat Native to Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands as well as Taiwan, where it’s…

Not every tree here is planted to be eaten, some are planted just to make the ground better for whatever comes next, and this is one of those. The Basics Sesbania sesban, also called Egyptian riverhemp or sesban, is a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing shrub or small tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. Origin and Habitat Native…