re: Louisiana Tropical Fruit Gardening - Experiences and Updates

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Once again, as always, this is why you don't shop for specific banana varieties at commercial nurseries (even really good commercial nurseries). Only individual private sellers who have a track record.

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Boutique and rare fruit sellers are often bad; but, banana sellers are the worst. I’m fortunate to have a friend who went deep down the banana rabbit hole and has 20 or more different varieties on his place.

I was laughing the other day. That infamous photoshopped image of turquoise blue colored bananas was making the rounds again. Hundreds of people replying that Blue Java is the best banana they’ve ever had. 99% of them probably ate a Namwah which is admittedly delicious; but, they have no idea. That’s just how prolific bait and switch selling is in bananas.

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Boutique and rare fruit sellers are often bad; but, banana sellers are the worst.

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It's unbelievable how bad it is. Like, if you purchase a banana from anyone who makes a living selling plants there is a 95% chance it's wrong. Uncanny really.

I've also got a banana grower friend in New Orleans that I sourced real dwarf namwah from. Besides him it's either Irene Williams (Florida Banana Growers Facebook admin), Brad Taggart (Carolina Bananas), or Tefoe Farms. No one else.

Then you are golden. You've got the real deal. That's where I got my veinte cohol.

Woke up to get a glass of water and saw this. That's amazing! Dragonfruit bloom!!

Problem is that they are way down on my list of things I actually like to eat. If I'm doing the big heavy pot and trellis thing it's gonna be another passionfruit variety before pitaya. But man, do they look cool!

LSU Ag is hosting a wild pawpaw hunt in Tunica Hills on 8/8/26 in case anyone is interested:





Looks like reservations are full but there is a wait list available. Pawpaws are not exactly common in south LA but I suspect Blaise Pezold knows where a patch or two is located in Tunica Hills.

I know where all the wild fruiting patches are on my folks’ property in the ozarks but you have to be there and be ready as soon as they ripen. Every mammal in the woods knows where they are too, especially the bears.

we have all the trees painted hunter orange and trails to them cut

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Silas Wood sapodilla

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good looking tree. maybe a decent ground plant candidate with protection?

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good looking tree. maybe a decent ground plant candidate with protection?

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It's a great question and one I struggle with a lot. When you have limited ground space with sufficient sun, how do you justify planting a tree that you know is outstanding in a container? Shouldn't that spot be reserved for the more difficult things that may struggle in a pot? Or what about the things that are only marginally cold hardy like white sapote, jaboticaba, and cattley guava? Those are the ones least likely to ever be killed outright.

On the other hand, if you've got an absolute winner like Silas Wood, shouldn't that be rewarded so it can reach its full potential?

The 3rd option is one I don't consider: that all ground space should be reserved only for things that are 9a hardy. If the tropical is good enough it gets the ground.

Right now I fall into the first camp. If it's a great performer in a pot then it stays in a pot. In 6 months I'll be saying something different.

ETA: roselles are looking awesome!

Is anyone else in here trying jaboticaba? I feel like this one is being severely overlooked. Flavor is great, better cold hardiness than you think, and mine has been fruiting for 5 straight months. Here it is preparing to bloom on 2/19/26. It is still serially blooming today and about to set another crop. When the weather starts cooling off it will start to flower even more profusely. I'm getting fruit for like 9-10 months out of the year from this thing.