Peanut Butter Fruit... tastes like peanut butter!

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...One of the most fascinating exotic fruit, as amazing as Miracle fruit, Peanut Butter Fruit is loved by both kids and adults... and yes, it tastes exactly like peanut butter!.. Yet it is much healthier food, with many medicinal benefits...
...The easy, low-maintenance Peanut Butter Fruit tree is essential for any edible landscape, rare fruit collector, or tropical/subtropical garden. It has a great ornamental or screening value. Also can be grown in container, and will fruit indoors... Similar to fast-fruiting Annonas, and its close relatives Malpighia (Barbados Cherry) and Bursonima (Nancy Tree), Bunchosia tree starts fruiting in small size and at young age: 2-3 years from seed!..

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Cold hardy tropical fruit trees for Zone 9

Q: Can you suggest tropical fruit that can be grown (cold hardy) in Zone 9?

A: There are quite a few tropical/subtropical trees that will grow well in zone 9. Our favorites are: Figs - very cold hardy and drought tolerant.
Loquats - grafted trees that start fruiting right away, reliable producers.
Tropical Mulberry - very fast growing trees that can take freeze, heavy producers.
Macadamia - these trees are of a compact nature, very easy to grow and start producing nuts right away.
Many different varieties of Eugenias - tropical cherries - all-time favorites. Another tropical cherry - Malpighia, or Barbados cherry - starts fruiting in small size under one food tall! Great for containers.
Tropical (Low Chill) Peaches, Nectarines, and Plums. See full list of low-chill, relatively cold hardy fruit trees.
And of course - Bananas!

Don't forget to fertilize your fruit trees to improve their cold hardiness!

Pretty Fancy Nancy from Brazil

Byrsonima crassifolia - Nancy Tree or Golden Spoon

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

Once Dr. David Fairchild bought in Panama seeds of a fruit plant unknown to him, which looked a little like Acerola (Malpighia). When he asked what it was called, the woman who sold the seeds answered - Nance, wild cherries from Brazil! The famous horticulturist brought the seeds from Panama to the United States Department of Agriculture in 1899. A few of his specimens still exist in private collections in South Florida...
Nancy Tree fruit are not only delicious, but also very useful, they are widely used by many local people for medicinal purposes and include all of Vitamins B, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Calcium, Cooper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium and Zink. The whole multi-vitamin prescription in one fruit!..

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