Onion Koba Allium sp.
Wonderful Multiplier scallion from U H Manoa. Ever bearing and mild. Top |
Soursop Annona muricata
These seeds are from a tree that has low fiber and low seed content. Unlike most soursop that need to be juiced this fruit can be eaten right off the tree. Top |
Star Fruit Averrhoa carambola
Very refreshing and juicy yellow fruit with a star shaped cross section. Top |
Gandules Cajanus cajan
Excellent tropical legume good for stick mulching and nitrogen fixing. The peas are an important ingredient in Arroz con Gandules. Also known as Honto rice. Top |
Pepper Hawaiian Cocktail Capsicum
Excellent fruit fly resistant local sweet pepper. Nice bright red fruit of the cheese type pepper. A bit bigger than Habanero peppers PHOTO Top |
Pepper Aji Yellow Capsicum baccatum
Yellow dart shaped peppers with a pungent heat. Perennial plant resistant to pests. Top |
Pepper Aji Dulce Capsicum sp.
Sweet top shaped cherry size peppers that ripen red with wonderful Habanero like fragrance. Very hardy and unusual pepper. PHOTO Top |
Pepper Hawaiian Chili Capsicum sp.
This Tabasco like chili is a popular garden perennial here in Hawaii. This is the pepper used for making the locally famous chili pepper water. Chili, garlic, ginger, salt vinegar and water are mixed to make this sauce. It uses just enough salt and vinegar to preserve the condiment. PHOTO Top |
Pepper, Jalapeno Capsicum sp.
Old fashion Jalapeno strain that will make you flash back to the days when this pepper was the gold standard of pain. Top |
Pepper, White Ghost Capsicum sp.
A cream white colored version of the extremely hot Ghost Chili. Top |
Peter Pepper Capsicum sp.
The name says it all. It's all about the shape. Excellent spicy taste. Top |
Papaya Exotica Carica papaya
This is a favorite Papaya for people that do not like GMO papaya fruit. It is mostly hermaphrodite plants and does not easily cross with other papaya. The fruit is tastier than the classic Solo. Top |
Papaya Solo Carica papaya
Papaya is one of the most popular tropical fruits next to banana and pineapple. They are relatively quick to fruit, less than 2 years from a seed. The Hawaiian Solo is non-GMO and self fertile. It is the most popular papaya in the USA today. Needs warmth and good drainage. Top |
Papaya Waimanolo Solo Carica Papaya
Classic orange flesh Solo with a low bearing feature. Top |
Squash Cucurbita maxima
This local specialty appears similar to the Calabaza squash of Central America and the Caribbean. If it wasn't enough that it will resist attacks from pickle and melon worms but it is also the best eating squash I have ever grown. It is a long season vine with extended lifespan so it will not work well in the northern areas of the USA. The vine will root at almost every leaf node making it the unstoppable Godzilla of the squash kingdom. Top |
Tree Tomato Cyphomandra betacea
This perennial relative for the tomato originates in the Andes of South America. It was one of the lost crops of the Inca. The flavor is very much like a tomato and can be used in the same way. Tomatoes are very prone to disease here in Hawaii but this crop seems completely resistant. PHOTO Top |
Chocolate Pudding Fruit Diospyros nigra
This Mexican Persimmon has flesh that looks almost exactly like chocolate pudding. The flavor is mild and similar to Persimmon. Top |
Mountain Apple Eugenia malaccense
Bill sample that Hawaiian favorite the Mountain Apple. Otherwise know as Eugenia malaccense or Syzygium malaccense.
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Roselle Hibiscus sabdarrifa
In the USA this plant is know from it's use in "Red Zinger Tea". In the Caribbean, sorrel drink is made from the calyx. Mexican restaurants in the USA sell the drink under the name Jamaica. It is prepared by boiling dried calyx in water for 8 to 10 minutes and then adding sugar. It is often served chilled. Health benefits include lowering blood pressure and flushing the kidneys. PHOTO Top |
Macadamia nut Macadamia integrifolia
These delicious nuts will grow in mild climate areas away from Hawaii. Most of Coastal California and parts of the mild deep south are suitable for growth. Top |
Sweet Corn Maize
If you have eaten sweet corn in Hawaii then you know how good this stuff is. After my first taste I brought the seeds back to California with me and found it grew fine there too. One of my favorite sweet corns and very resistant to diseases. PHOTO Top |
Yellow Passion Fruit Passiflora edulis flavicarpa
This is the favorite passion fruit of Hawaii. Easy to grow and prolific producer of fruit. Great for drinks, sauces and jelly. Very heavy perfume. Passion fruit seed can be difficult to germinate. You can speed things up by scarifying the seeds on a sheet of sand paper and then soaking in 140 f. degree water. Allow seeds to cool in water overnight and plant in the morning. PHOTO Top |
Jaboticaba Plinia cauliflora
Delicious grape like fruit that grow right off the side of the tree trunk. This good looking tree can also be grown in mild climate parts of the mainland USA like Coastal California and Florida. Top |
Inca Peanuts Plukenetia volubilis
Sacha inchi is touted by many as one of the world’s healthiest super foods. Also known as Inca peanuts. They are among the richest sources of omega fatty acids in the world. They are loaded with protein, fiber and antioxidants. They have been grown and eaten in the Andes of Peru for many years. Top |
Abiu Pouteria caimito
Pouteria caimito or Abiu is a tropical fruit tree originated in the Amazonian region of South America. It will grow an average of 33 feet (10 m) high. The fruit shape varies from round to oval with a point. When ripe, it has smooth bright yellow skin and will have one to four ovate seeds.The inside of the fruit is translucent and white. It has a creamy and jelly-like texture and its taste is similar to a sweet vanilla custard. Trees can bear fruit in as little as 4 years from a seed. I find it one of the easier tropical fruit trees to grow and the fruit is delicious. PHOTO Top |
Blackberry Jam Fruit Randia formosa
Small Central & South American fruit with a pulp that resembles blackberry jam. Fragrant flowers, interesting fruit on a 4 to 5 foot shrub. Can be container grown. Top |
Rollinia Cross Rollinia delicosa x Annona reticulata
This fruit appears to be a natural hybrid between the Rollinia delicosa and the Annona reticulata. It has the flesh of the Rollinia and the appearance of the Custard apple. Fast growing and productive tree. PHOTO Top |
Yellow Dragon Fruit Selenicereus megalanthus
Of all the dragon fruit I have tried this one is my favorite. It grows easily, bears young and has the sweetest fruit of all. PHOTO Top |
Dragon Fruit Frankies Red Selenicereus megalanthus x
Similar to the Yellow Dragon fruit but it has Orange skin and pink flesh color. Top |
Dragon Fruit, S-8 Selenicereus x Hylocereus
This variety is from Southern California. It is self fertile and a good pollinator of others. The flesh has an excellent sweet melon like taste. Top |
Tomato Everglades Solanum lycopersicum L.
A pink cherry tomato with a classic flavor that grows wild in South Florida. It is extremely resistant to the diseases that damage tomato in Hawaii. Top |
Mamane Sophora chysophylla
Hawaiian native legume tree with yellow flowers. Drought and cold tolerant plant. Grows at higher elevation than most Hawaiian trees. Top |
Chocolate, Red Cacao Theobroma cacao
Chocolate is one of the most well known foods on earth yet few of us ever try to grow our own. Theobroma cacao, also called the cacao tree is a small evergreen tree growing to about 20'. It is native to the deep tropical regions of Central and South America. Its seeds, called cocoa beans, are used to make cocoa powder and chocolate. Cacao seed can not be dried. It must be removed fresh from the pod, wrapped in moss and shipped rapidly. The seed will often begin to ferment slightly in shipping, this is normal and does not harm the seeds. Top |