Best Tropical Cultivars

There are a surprising number of fruit varieties, but most of them are not widely consumed. Why? Because farmers and stores have very different goals than most consumers. While they optimize for things like yield, appearance, and robustness, most consumers primarily care about taste and nutrition. This disconnect is one of the primary reasons why home-grown fruit can be dramatically better than fruit you can buy.It turns out that the best-tasting varieties of fruits are usually significantly better than anything you can find at a store. Further, when you grow something at home you can pick at peak ripeness while farmers are often forced to pick fruit early to make sure it doesn't spoil before it reaches the store shelves.If you are going to the trouble of growing your own, we think it makes sense to focus on truly extraordinary varieties even though it may be an adventure trying to find them. We will catalog the premium species and cultivars that you can grow.

Pouteria caimito

Abiu

  • Sweet with a flavor reminiscent of caramel flan.

  • Native to the Amazon, particularly Brazil.

  • Its translucent, jelly-like pulp is encased in bright yellow skin.

  • Best Cultivar:

‣ Marisa

Garcinia humilis

Achachairú

  • The white pulp offers a sweet and moderately tart flavor, with notes of mango & berries.

  • Native to Bolivia.

  • Best Cultivar:

‣ Selecto

Manilkara bidentata

Balata

  • Known for its dense, sweet flesh, Balata is often described as having a flavor of dried persimmons or dates.

  • Native to the tropical regions of northern South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, particularly abundant in the Guianas and the Amazon basin.

  • Best Cultivar:

‣ Skinner

Musa acuminata

Banana

  • The “banana tree” is actually a giant herb; its “trunk” is a pseudo-stem composed of tightly packed leaf bases.

  • Bananas are one of the most widely consumed fruits worldwide, grown in over 135 countries and a dietary staple in many tropical regions.

  • Best Cultivars

‣ Brazilian
‣ Goldfinger
‣ Manzano
‣ Mysore
‣ Raja Puri

Malpighia emarginata

Barbados Cherry

  • Barbados cherry, also known as acerola, is a small, round, bright red fruit with a glossy, smooth skin.

  • it delivers a unique flavor—tart and tangy balanced by a natural sweetness.

  • The flavor is reminiscent of a mix between cherry and citrus, making it both refreshing and zesty.

  • Best Cultivar:

‣ Manoa Sweet

Passiflora nitida

Bell Apple

  • Bell apple is a member of the passionflower family.

  • The flavor is an enticing blend of sweetness and tartness with tropical, aromatic notes.

  • Inside you'll find a succulent pulp dotted with crunchy, edible seeds.

Diospyros nigra

Black Sapote

• Bernicker

Rosenbergiodendron formosum

Blackberry Jam Fruit

Garcinia prainiana

Button Mangosteen

Theobroma cacao

Cacao

• Criollo

Plinia edulis

Cambucá

Eugenia involucrata

Cherry of the Rio Grande

• Ben's Beaut

Cinnamomum verum

Cinnamon

• Verum

Citrus medica

Citron

• Buddha's Hand

Cocos nucifera

Coconut

Coffea arabica

Coffee

• Arabica

Theobroma grandiflorum

Cupuaçu

Annona reticulata

Custard Apple

• Fernandez

Hylocereus guatemalensis

Dragon Fruit

• American Beauty
• Asunta 7
• Bruni
• Celeste
• Desert King #16
• Lisa
• Ohana Express
• Physical Graffiti
• Sugar Dragon

Durio zibethinus

Durian

• Musang King

Ficus carica

Fig

• Black Celeste
• Verdino del Nord

Citrus australasica

Finger Lime

• RedLime
• SunLime

Garcinia mexicana

Garcinia

• Luc's Mexican

Eugenia brasiliensis

Grumichama

• Yellow

Psidium guajava

Guava

• Indonesian Seedless
• Ruby Supreme

Eugenia floribunda

Guavaberry

Plinia cauliflora

Jaboticaba

• Escarlate

Muntingia calabura

Jamaican Cherry

• Yellow

Spondias purpurea

Jocote

• Corona

Thaumatococcus daniellii

Katemfe

Curculigo latifolia

Lemba

• Megacarpa

Citrus limon

Lemon

• Meyer
• New Zealand Lemonade
• Santa Teresa Femminello

Dimocarpus longan

Longan

• Biew Kiew
• Fortune Eye

Eriobotrya japonica

Loquat

• Avri
• Novak
• Vista White

Litchi chinensis

Lychee

• Kaimana

Pouteria sapota

Mamey Sapote

• Guatemalan #1

Citrus unshiu

Mandarin

• Miho Wase
• Okitsu Wase

Mangifera indica

Mango

• Coconut Cream
• Cotton Candy
• Crème Brûlée
• Fruit Punch
• Lemon Zest
• M-4
• Maha Chanook
• Orange Sherbet
• Pineapple Pleasure
• Sugarloaf
• Super Alphonso
• Sweet Tart

Garcinia mangostana

Mangosteen

• Seedless

Bouea macrophylla

Maprang

• Mayong Chid

Synsepalum dulcificum

Miracle Berry

• Large Leaf
• Small Leaf

Siraitia grosvenorii

Monk Fruit

Monstera deliciosa

Monstera

• Sierrana

Morus nigra

Mulberry

• Maui

Citrus × sinensis

Orange

• Akçay Şekeri
• Vaniglia Sanguigno (Blood Orange)

Carica papaya

Papaya

• Hawaiian Sunset Solo
• Waimanolo

Passiflora edulis

Passion Fruit

• Qinmi #9

Bunchosia argentea

Peanut Butter Fruit

Ananas comosus

Pineapple

• White Jade
• White Sugarloaf

Citrus maxima

Pomelo

• Tahitian

Nephelium ramboutan-ake

Pulasan

Eugenia candolleana

Rainforest Plum

• Cambui Roxo

Nephelium lappaceum

Rambutan

• Yellow

Rollinia mucosa

Rollinia

• Deliciosa

Manilkara zapota

Sapodilla

• Alano •
• Butterscotch
• Hasya • •
• Molix •

Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii

Serendipity Berry

Annona muricata

Soursop

• Whitman Fiberless

Saccharum officinarum

Sugar Cane

• Asian Black

Eugenia uniflora

Surinam Cherry

• Zill's Black

Tamarindus indica

Tamarind

• Thai Sweet

Citrus reticulata × Citrus sinensis

Tangor

• Dekopon
• Yosemite Gold

Vanilla planifolia

Vanilla

• Planifolia