Jujubes : A tasty, crunchy fruit you’ve likely never heard of before!

Jujubes : A tasty, crunchy fruit you've likely never heard of before! Ziziphus jujuba is a rare and unique fruiting tree known as jujube, red date, or Chinese date. They typically grow into beautiful small trees perfect for small spaces or even large pots reaching about 8-10 feet tall.

Jujubes : A tasty, crunchy fruit you’ve likely never heard of before!

Ziziphus jujuba is a rare and unique fruiting tree known as jujube, red date, or Chinese date. They typically grow into beautiful small trees perfect for small spaces or even large pots reaching about 8-10 feet tall. They have an attractive zig-zag branching pattern that is particularly beautiful in winter when the leaves have fallen revealing the architecture of the tree. Their bark is also greyish to silvery and quite beautiful.

The small greenish fragrant flowers appear in spring and produce oval fruit that looks like dates. They are about an inch long with chestnut brown to reddish burgundy skin and are harvested in autumn. The fruit has a whitish to greenish flesh and can be eaten when crisp like an apple or when dried. The flavour is most similar to that of a delicate apple. They can be very sweet or can be a refreshing blend of sweet and subtly tart. When dried they taste like a date.

Culinary Uses and Historical Significance

Jujubes were first domesticated in Southwest Asia in 9000 BC and are today used in diverse culinary traditions across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. They can be eaten fresh or dried. They can be made into fresh drinks, teas, alcohols such as brandy or beer, or vinegar. They can be included in desserts or they can be candied or pickled or made into syrups, jams and jellies.

Self-Fertility and Growing Conditions

The flowers are partially self-fertile so you will get fruit with just one plant. However, two different cultivars will give you maximum production.

Jujubes enjoy full to part sun and are tolerant of average to somewhat dry conditions. They are tough trees and are hardy to zone 5 allowing the majority of Canadian gardeners to grow them outdoors!

Are you ready to grow a new fruit you’ve likely never heard of before?

We carry a number of different cultivars of jujube each year including:

Ziziphus jujuba Autumn Beauty – Jujube- Rhamnaceae
Ziziphus jujuba, jujube, red date, or Chinese date is a unique fruiting tree. Autumn Beauty is one of the best cultivars.

Ziziphus jujuba Black Sea – Jujube – Rhamnaceae
Ziziphus jujuba, jujube, red date, or Chinese date is a unique fruiting tree. Black Sea is especially sweet.

Ziziphus jujuba Coco – Jujube- Rhamnaceae
Ziziphus jujuba, jujube, red date, or Chinese date is a unique fruiting tree. Coco has a coconut-like flavour.

Ziziphus jujuba ‘Lang’ – Jujube – Rhamnaceae
Ziziphus jujuba, jujube, red date, or Chinese date is a unique fruiting tree. ‘Lang’ is a top cultivar.

Ziziphus jujuba ‘Li’ – Jujube — Rhamnaceae
Ziziphus jujuba ‘Li’ is a popular variety with very large, mahogany brown fruit that is sweet, crisp and flavourful.

If you’re looking to grow a unique and delicious fruit that you can’t get at the supermarket and that none of your friends will have, jujubes would be a great option! And the plants will also add beauty to your garden and patio.

Give Your Garden the Phoenix Perennials Touch:

At Phoenix Perennials we offer over 5000 different plants every year for in-person shopping at our garden centre and plant nursery in Richmond, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver. Additionally, we offer more than 3000 different plants each year for mail-order shipping across Canada. Stay connected with our diverse offerings and all things Phoenix Perennials by signing up for our E-Newsletter and Alerts and engaging with us on social media. Happy gardening!

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Discover Pineapple Guava

Discover Pineapple Guava Feijoa (Acca) sellowiana is native to South America and is known as pineapple guava. It is an attractive, small, multi-branched shrub or small tree in the Myrtaceae or Myrtle family and is related to Eucalyptus, guava, and Chilean guava. It is highly ornamental with beautiful gray

Discover Pineapple Guava

Feijoa (Acca) sellowiana is native to South America and is known as pineapple guava. It is an attractive, small, multi-branched shrub or small tree in the Myrtaceae or Myrtle family and is related to Eucalyptus, guava, and Chilean guava. It is highly ornamental with beautiful gray green, evergreen foliage with white undersides. Plants can be allowed to grow as they want or are quite amenable to pruning. You can shape it into a standard tree form, keep it narrow and columnar, or espaliered against a wall or railing for privacy.

Its showy, tropical-looking flowers have white petals often flushed with pink and dramatic red stamens with yellow tips. The petals are edible and taste like cotton candy or pink bubblegum making them an unusual and exotic addition to salads or as a garnish for desserts. The delicious fruits that follow are green and oblong and about the size of a chicken egg. The fruit is sweet and aromatic with a perfumy smell. They taste like an exotic combination of mint, apple, guava, and pineapple. Plants will bloom in the summer and fruit will ripen in November. The fruit is ripe and the most flavourful at the point that it is ready to fall from the plant.

Self-Fertility and Pollination

In the wild, most Feijoa are not self-fertile and seedling-grown plants will require two genetically different plants to pollinate each other to get fruit on both plants. However, numerous cultivars have been selected to be partially or fully self-fertile. However, even with these plants, the presence of a different cultivar for cross pollination will improve the quantity of fruit produced.

Hardiness and Growing Conditions

Pineapple guava is hardy to zone 7 but should be grown in protected situations within gardens and covered in extreme cold snaps to protect developing flower buds and fruit and minimize leaf damage. They can also be grown in greenhouses or sunrooms in colder climates and are quite amenable to container growing. Some of our customers have had some success growing them as houseplants but Feijoa needs a cool winter chill period in order to flower and fruit. This could be achieved by growing them indoors in winter and outdoors in summer allowing them to experience cool nights and frost before bringing them indoors.

Breeding Work and New Cultivars

Pineapple guava has been widely grown in New Zealand since the 1920s and most of the breeding work of new cultivars has taken place there. We are pleased to offer many new cultivars from Roy Hart and Nigel Ritson who have been breeding for large fruit, thin, edible skin, sweet and flavourful flesh, and early ripening, which is very important in cool summer climates such as the West Coast.

Our Selection

We carry many different cultivars of pineapple guava each year at Phoenix Perennials, though we may not have all cultivars every year. Here are the cultivars that we grow:

Feijoa sellowiana ‘Anatoki’
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Anatoki’ is an early-ripening, New Zealand-bred cultivar perfect for our region with large, very sweet and flavourful fruit.

Feijoa sellowiana ‘Apollo’
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Apollo’, pineapple guava, has beautiful, tropical-looking, edible flowers and delicious fruit that tastes like pineapple and mint.

Feijoa sellowiana ‘Coolidge’
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Coolidge’ is self-fertile and early-ripening with very large, dark green, tasty fruit.

Feijoa sellowiana ‘Kaiteri’
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Kaiteri’ is an early-ripening, New Zealand-bred cultivar with very large, sweet and delicious fruit.

Feijoa sellowiana ‘Kakariki’
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Kakariki’ is an extremely early-ripening cultivar with very large, sweet and delicious fruit with thin edible skin.

Feijoa sellowiana ‘Nikita’
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Nikita’ is an early-ripening cultivar with tasty fruit.

Feijoa sellowiana ‘Ramsey’
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Ramsey’ ripens in the mid-season with very large, sweet, flavourful fruit. Shrubs have a more upright growth habit.

Feijoa sellowiana ‘Takaka’
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Takaka’ is a very early-ripening, New Zealand-bred cultivar with large, sweet delicious, light green fruit.

Feijoa sellowiana ‘Unique’
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Unique’ is an older cultivar prized for its extra sweet, delicious fruit.

Feijoa sellowiana ‘Waingaro’
Feijoa sellowiana ‘Waingaro’ is a later-ripening, New Zealand-bred cultivar with large, sweet/tart, refreshing fruit.

Feijoa sellowiana
Feijoa sellowiana, pineapple guava, has beautiful, tropical-looking, edible flowers and delicious fruit that tastes like pineapple and mint. These are cutting-grown plants.

Give Your Garden the Phoenix Perennials Touch:

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Grow Hardy Citrus

Grow Hardy Citrus These 17 varieties are hardy or potentially hardy outdoors in coastal BC or grow them with less heat in colder climates! Citrus are beloved subtropical fruits that originated in Asia but have been cultivated for thousands of years by diverse cultures. They are loved for

Grow Hardy Citrus

These 17 varieties are hardy or potentially hardy outdoors in coastal BC or grow them with less heat in colder climates!

Citrus are beloved subtropical fruits that originated in Asia but have been cultivated for thousands of years by diverse cultures. They are loved for their evergreen foliage, sweetly fragrant flowers, and their production of beautiful and tasty fruits including lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, mandarins, kumquats, & more. Most citrus are hardy to zone 9 withstanding light frosts but not full winter cold snaps. However, a few citrus have been proven hardy outdoors in coastal BC and produce fruit if provided with proper conditions. Most of our citrus is grafted onto C-35 (or sometimes Poncirus) rootstock offering good production, cold tolerance, and semi-dwarfing.

There are a number of citrus that are hardy outside in protected situations in coastal BC and have survived our worst cold snaps. The best known are the ‘Owari’ satsuma mandarin orange, the ‘Nagami’ and ‘Nordmann’ kumquats, the trifoliate orange (Poncirus), the foodie favourites yuzu and sudachi, and the hardy grapefruit or citrumelo. There are also numerous other new cultivars that are just becoming available and which we are pleased to offer including the ‘Ichang Lemon’, the ‘Nasnaran’, ‘Miho Wase’, and ‘Okitsu Wase’ mandarins, and the ‘Citradia’, ‘Troyer’, and ‘US 119’ oranges, among others!

While these trees are not hardy beyond zone 7 or 8, depending on the cultivar, they are still a benefit to gardeners in colder zones. These citrus will be easier to overwinter as they require less heat to survive in sunrooms or greenhouses.

Once mature and sited in good conditions, these hardy plants will flower in spring and summer and produce fruit that is usually ready for harvest in the winter or the following spring or summer. For instance, ‘Owari’ satsumas can be harvested between Christmas and Chinese New Year, right here in Richmond, BC!

Despite their cold tolerance, hardy citrus are still subtropical plants and should be sited carefully in the garden for best results. Some gardeners have assumed they can be planted out in the middle of the garden like any fruit tree and, consequently, have not had good overwintering success or fruiting results. Hardy citrus should be sited in warm, sunny locations, especially against south- and west-facing walls, fences or other features that will protect them from winter winds and rain and provide a warmer microclimate during the growing season to increase fruit production and sweetness. Overhead protection from winter rain is highly recommended. Plant under the eaves of the house, beneath the boughs of a conifer tree, or erect a makeshift roof over your citrus in October each year.

Remember that the zone hardiness and temperature tolerance listings are for mature plants. Young plants will not be as hardy as when they reach full size, since they can freeze faster and have less resources to withstand a cold snap. Until plants reach a mature size they should be mulched with a foot of leaves around their trunks each fall and covered with a plastic tent or teepee in the event of a cold snap. Putting an old string of non-LED Christmas lights or a flood light inside the tent should be enough to take the edge off the cold.

Hardy citrus are rewarding, fragrant, and delicious and make beautiful specimens in the garden and on the patio with their shiny, subtropical leaves. With just a little extra care they can produce delicious fruit outdoors in coastal BC and provide excellent opportunities to brag to your friends on social media or when you serve them drinks, dishes, and desserts made with your very own citrus fruit grown in your very own garden!

Here are the hardy and potentially hardy citrus varieties that we offer in the Great Citrus & Rare Fruit Pre-Order and the Fall Citrus Pre-Order in most years (in both cases for pick-up or shipping) and for in-person shopping at the nursery through the gardening season:

x Citroncirus Citrumelo – Hardy Grapefruit
X Citroncirus forms large grapefruit-sized fruits that are yellow to light orange with thin skin and a flavour like a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit.

Fortunella japonica ‘Centennial’ – Variegated Kumquat
Fortunella japonica ‘Centennial’ is a variegated small tree that forms refreshing orange and green striped fruits.

Fortunella japonica ‘Nagami’ – Hardy Kumquat
Fortunella japonica ‘Nagami’ forms delicious, small, egg-shaped kumquats that are eaten whole, skin and all. Hardy in coastal BC.

Fortunella japonica ‘Nordmann’ (Seedless ‘Nagami’) – Hardy Kumquat
Fortunella japonica ‘Nordmann’ produces large crops of bright orange, elongated, seedless kumquats.

Citrus-Lemon wilsonii ‘Ichang Lemon’
Citrus wilsonii ‘Ichang Lemon’ is a hardy lemon for the west coast which can withstand at least -12 degrees Celsius.

Citrus-Lime junos ‘Yuzu’
Citrus junos ‘Yuzu’ is prized in Japan as a flavouring for sauces and desserts and to make marmalades and preserves.

Citrus-Lime sudachi ‘Sudachi’
Citrus x sudachi has a unique, spicy juice that is used to flavour soups, sauces (including ponzu), fish dishes, ice cream, and other desserts.

Citrus-Mandarin amblycarpa ‘Nasnaran’
Citrus amblycarpa ‘Nasnaran’ is a hardy mandarin for the west coast which can withstand at least -12 degrees Celsius.

Citrus-Mandarin reticulata ‘Miho Wase’
Citrus reticulata (syn. Citrus unshiu) ‘Miho Wase’ is a hardy mandarin that can withstand temperatures till about -7 degrees Celsius.

Citrus-Mandarin reticulata ‘Shirokolistvennyi’
Citrus reticulata (syn. Citrus unshiu) ‘Shirokolistvennyi’ is a cold tolerant mandarin with broad, orange, seedless fruit.

Citrus-Mandarin unshiu ‘Changsha’
Citrus unshiu ‘Changsha’ may rival ‘Owari’ for cold hardiness in coastal BC. It should survive -12 degrees Celsius!

Citrus-Mandarin unshiu ‘Okitsu Wase’
Citrus reticulata (syn. Citrus unshiu) ‘Okitsu Wase’ is a hardy mandarin that can withstand temperatures to about -7 degrees Celsius.

Citrus-Mandarin unshiu ‘Owari’
Citrus unshiu ‘Owari’ is a satsuma mandarin orange that is hardy outdoors in coastal BC! Pick your own fruit through the winter!

Citrus-Orange, Sour ‘Citradia’
Citrus ‘Citradia’ is a hybrid between a sour orange and a trifoliate orange that is extremely hardy.

Citrus-Orange, Sweet ‘Troyer’
Citrus ‘Troyer’ is a hybrid of the ‘Washington’ navel orange and the trifoliate orange that is hardy to at least -15 degrees Celsius.

Citrus-Orange, Sweet ‘US 119’
Citrus ‘US 119’ is a complex hybrid that is extremely hardy to at least -12 degrees Celsius producing sweet oranges.

Citrus-Poncirus trifoliata ‘Monstrosa’/’Flying Dragon’
Poncirus trifoliata ‘Monstrosa’ or ‘Flying Dragon’ is a semi-dwarf form of the trifoliate orange with wonderful contorted stems.

Give Your Garden the Phoenix Perennials Touch:

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Soil Moisture:

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Fragrance:

Berries:

Benefits:

Deer Resistant:

BC Native:

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Geographical Origin:

Grow Avocado, Guava & Passionfruit

Grow Avocado, Guava & Passionfruit With a little winter protection, you can grow your own subtropical fruits! If Canadians can grow citrus, then why not try avocados, guava and passionfruit? Avocado Few people in the Great White North have tried to grow avocado. Information is

Grow Avocado, Guava & Passionfruit

With a little winter protection, you can grow your own subtropical fruits!

If Canadians can grow citrus, then why not try avocados, guava and passionfruit?

Avocado

Few people in the Great White North have tried to grow avocado. Information is scarce so growing your own avocado should be thought of as a fun experiment that will give you a cool and unique plant for your summer patio that becomes a beautiful and easy houseplant or greenhouse plant in winter. But you might even get some fruit for your avocado toast!

In general, avocados reach a sustainable fruiting size when they are about 6-8 feet tall with a caliper of 1.5-2 inches. We have heard from a few customers who have greenhouses (so that means good growing conditions) that they are getting flowering and some fruit after growing our plants for about 2-3 years. This spring we are getting good flowering on overwintered plants from last year that are just three feet tall! So growing your own avocado definitely seems possible!

Plant in a large 20-24 inch pot with a volume of about 15-25 gallons. It will take plants a few years to reach fruiting size, so fertilize them well. Depending on the cultivars you choose and where you live, you’ll need to provide adequate protection during the winter.

We offer a selection of popular cultivars, compact forms, and “cold tolerant” avocados, some of which can take temperatures down to -7 degrees C (20 degrees F). They are unlikely to be hardy outdoors anywhere in Canada but these cold tolerant varieties will be easier to care for. They can take some frost in the shoulder seasons of spring and fall and require less heat in the winter if you’re growing them in a greenhouse. Additionally, some of our cultivars are compact and easier to keep as smaller trees that might better fit in the house or greenhouse.Additionally, ‘Pinkerton’ is known to begin fruiting on relatively young plants.

Avocados (Persea americana) have perfect flowers with both male and female parts. All plants can produce fruit. However, they are divided into types A and B based on the timing of fertility of each flower. In California, avocados are considered self-fruitful since you can get pollination and fruit on a single tree. However, even in California, you will get more fruit if you have both a type A and a type B to pollinate each other. In colder climates, it is recommended to have both types, if you would like to get fruit, so make sure to choose at least one A type and one B type.

We carry the following cultivars in most years:

‘Bacon’
‘Bacon’ has tasty green fruit with medium-thin skin and fruit up to 10-12 oz ripening in December-January. The trees are medium-sized and upright and cold tolerant to -3 to -5 degrees C (23-26 degrees F). It is a B Type and requires an A Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Fuerte’
‘Fuerte’ offers green fruit with a medium thin skin and flesh of excellent quality. The fruit is 10-12 oz with a medium pebbly skin and great flavour ripening from November to June. The trees are large and spreading. Cold tolerant to -2 degrees C (28 degrees F). It is a B Type and requires an A Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Gem’
‘Gem’ offers one of the richest and creamiest avocado experiences with delicious flavour and texture. It has black skin with golden lenticels. Trees have good production and bear consistently every year. They are semi-compact and vase shaped perfect for small gardens and containers. The fruit is 7-11 oz ripening from spring to fall. Hardy to about 0 degrees C (32 degrees F). It is an A Type and requires a B Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Gwen’
‘Gwen’ naturally grows to about 10-15 feet in height but can be kept smaller as it lends itself easily to pruning with its smaller limbs. It is a Hass type avocado but with slightly larger fruit that are plump and oval with thick green skins that have a pebbled surface turning dull green as they age. The creamy gold-green flesh has a nutty, buttery flavour. It surrounds a small to medium sized seed. Keep above 0 degrees C (32 degrees F). It is an A Type and requires a B Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Hass’
‘Hass’ is the largest of the commercially grown avocados with a delicious flavour and a high oil content. The large oval fruit can weigh 10-12 oz with a green, pebbly skin that turns black when ripe. The tasty, creamy, golden green flesh surrounds a small to medium seed. Trees are vigorous and will need some space. Keep above 0 degrees C (32 degrees F). It is an A Type and requires a B Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Holiday’
‘Holiday’ is a Guatemalan avocado that offers large, green, tasty, pear-shaped fruit that weigh 18-24 oz. It is highly productive ripening from fall to winter. Trees are relatively short with a weeping habit great for small spaces and containers. Cold tolerant to -1 degrees C (30 degrees F). It is an A Type and requires a B Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Jim Bacon’
‘Jim Bacon’ is similar to ‘Bacon’ with tasty green fruit and medium-thin skin with fruit up to 10-12 oz ripening in December-January. The trees are medium-sized and upright and cold tolerant to -3 degrees C (26 degrees F). It is a B Type and requires an A Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Kona Sharwil’
‘Kona Sharwil’ are green avocados prized for their rich, nutty flavour, their small seed, and their ample buttery flesh all contained by a medium-thin skin. The fruit is 8-16 oz with a medium pebbly skin and great flavour ripening from November to January. The trees are upright growing. Cold tolerant to 0 degrees C (32 degrees F). It is a B Type and requires an A Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Lamb Hass’
‘Lamb Hass’ is a cross between ‘Hass’ and the dwarf ‘Gwen’ cultivar offering plants with an upright, compact habit. It produces high yields of good quality Hass-like fruit with black skin ripening over a longer period than ‘Hass’. The fruit can be up to 10-16 oz. Keep above -1 degrees C (30 degrees F). It is an A Type and requires a B Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Little Cado’
‘Little Cado’, also known as ‘Wurtz’/’Wertz’ and ‘Minicado’, has a compact habit to just 10 feet high making it easier than some to grow in pots and protect in winter. It produces tasty, green-skinned fruit with a medium-thin skin. The fruit can be 8-14 oz. Keep above 0 degrees C (32 degrees F). It is an A Type and requires a B Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Mexicola Grande’
‘Mexicola Grande’ is easy to peel with paper-thin black skin and creamy flavour. It ripens from late summer through mid-winter and is one of the most cold tolerant avocados to -7 degrees C (20 degrees F). It is an A Type and requires a B Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Pinkerton’
‘Pinkerton’ is a heavy producer even on young plants with green fruit to 14-16 oz having a medium pebbly skin and great flavour ripening from November to April. The trees are medium sized and spreading. Cold tolerant to -2 degrees C (28 degrees F). It is an A Type and requires a B Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Reed’
‘Reed’ produces excellent large, green, round fruit with great flavour. The fruit can be up to 12-18 oz, some of the largest fruit of any avocado. The trees are medium-sized and upright. Keep above 0 degrees C (32 degrees F). It is an A Type and requires a B Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Sir-Prize’
‘Sir-Prize’ is a ‘Hass’ type avocado with larger fruit on more productive, upright trees. The fruit is tasty and rich green with black skin weighing 10-20 oz. It ripens in winter 4-6 weeks earlier than ‘Hass’. The fruit does not oxidize when cut or refrigerated and it has some of the largest fruit of any avocado. Keep above -1 degrees C (30 degrees F). More cold tolerant than ‘Hass’. It is a B Type and requires an A Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Stewart’
‘Stewart’ is one of the most cold hardy avocado. It is a Mexican type with pear shaped, 6-10 oz. fruit with smooth, thick, dark skin and a nutty flavour. The trees are strong and spreading. Cold tolerant to -7 degrees C (20 degrees F). It is an A Type and requires a B Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.
‘Zutano’
‘Zutano’ is a good variety that performs well even in cooler climates. Its green fruit has a medium thick skin and weighs 10-12 oz ripening in November-January on upright trees. It is used as a pollenizer for ‘Hass’ in orchard settings. Cold tolerant to -3 to -4 degrees C (25-26 degrees F). It is a B Type and requires an A Type for cross pollination and to get fruit on both trees.

Guava

Guava trees grow quickly and can begin fruiting on young plants. Hardy to -5.5 degrees Celsius or zone 9b, it’s a worthwhile container specimen for fans of tropical fruits and bold foliage that won’t need tons of heat to protect over the winter, though it is best to protect indoors keeping plants above freezing.

Psidium cattleyanum – Strawberry Guava
Psidium cattleyanum is known as the strawberry, cattley or cherry guava. It is related to the common guava (Psidium guavaja) but has a much smaller, crimson red fruit that has the essence of strawberry in a fragrant, juicy, sweet-tart pulp.

Psidium guajava ‘Tropical Pink’ – Pink Guava
Psidium guajava ‘Tropical Pink’ is a tasty guava with fragrant white flowers and slightly elongated, yellow to greenish skinned fruit with sweet, pink flesh that tastes of strawberries, pears, and passionfruit.

Psidium guajava ‘Tropical White’ – Pink Guava
Psidium guajava ‘Tropical White’ is a tasty guava with fragrant white flowers and slightly elongated, yellow to greenish skinned fruit with sweet, white flesh that tastes of sweet lime, melon, and passionfruit.

Passionfruit

Passiflora edulis is one of the tastiest species commonly grown in the tropics for fruit production. Grow in full sun. Plants may be hardy in coastal BC in protected microclimates such as up against the sunny wall of a house where the stem is planted/buried six inches deeper than the soil surface in the original pot. Plants are said to withstand -4 degrees Celsius. Or safer: grow in containers that can be protected in winter in a sunroom or as a houseplant.

Passiflora edulis ‘Frederick’ – Passionflower/fruit
‘Frederick‘ is a delicious cultivar that is nearly identical to ‘Nancy Garrison’ but even sweeter. It is a self-fertile selection but may produce more fruit in the presence of a different cultivar like ‘Nancy Garrison’ or ‘Possum Purple’. On top of the delicious fruit, the flowers are mind-blowing.

Passiflora edulis ‘Nancy Garrison’ – Passionflower/fruit
‘Nancy Garrison’ is a delicious cultivar that is nearly identical to ‘Frederick’ but less sweet with a more sweet/tart experience. It is a self-fertile selection but may produce more fruit in the presence of a different cultivar like ‘Frederick’ or ‘Possum Purple’. On top of the delicious fruit, the flowers are mind-blowing.

Passiflora edulis ‘Possum Purple’ – Passionflower/fruit
‘Possum Purple’ is a self-fertile selection with exceptional flavour and mind-blowing flowers. All of the plants in this article are available in the Citrus Pre-oRder except ‘Possum Purple’ which you will find in the Main Catalogue.

Give Your Garden the Phoenix Perennials Touch:

Common Name:

Family:

Zone Hardiness:

Light:

Height:

Width:

Primary Bloom Colour:

Secondary Bloom Colour:

Class:

Type:

Bloom Time:

Soil Moisture:

Stem Colour:

Fragrance:

Berries:

Benefits:

Deer Resistant:

BC Native:

Native Habitat:

Award:

Geographical Origin:

Discover and Grow Pawpaws : These hardy trees produce delicious fruit with tropical flavours

Discover and Grow Pawpaws : These hardy trees produce delicious fruit with tropical flavours Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is an intriguing eastern North American understorey tree that grows across much of the eastern US and into southern Ontario...

Discover and Grow Pawpaws : These hardy trees produce delicious fruit with tropical flavours

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is an intriguing eastern North American understorey tree that grows across much of the eastern US and into southern Ontario. It is a member of the Annonaceae (Custard Apple or Soursop Family), a primarily tropical plant family that brings us custard-apples, cherimoyas, sweetsops, soursops, and ylang-ylangs. Only a few members of this family extend into temperate regions, pawpaws being the most significant for temperate gardeners and fruit lovers.

Key Features

Pawpaws are perennial trees. In cultivation they generally grow to about 10-20 feet tall and slightly less wide. They are deciduous with large, subtropical-looking foliage. The flowers are usually deep burgundy or purple and are pollinated by flies and beetles that are attracted to the somewhat fetid odour. Pawpaws are self-infertile so at least two different cultivars will need to be grown to pollinate each other and get fruit on both plants. The fruits, which, can look a bit like a green mango, are ripe when the skin starts to turn brown and the flesh softens. They are sweet with a custardy texture and taste like a unique combination of banana, mango and cantaloupe! They are truly delicious. Pawpaws ripen in late summer and fall.

Historical Significance

Pawpaws were eaten by Indigenous Peoples who ate the fruit fresh or made them into cakes and sauces or dried and stored them as a winter food source. They were also consumed by European settlers. However, large scale cultivation of pawpaws never caught on. This is perhaps because the soft, ripe fruit does not transport well and needs to be eaten or processed fairly quickly when fresh. These days pawpaw fruit is commonly eaten fresh or used to make ice cream, pies, cakes, and other desserts, often substituting for bananas in banana-focused recipes.

Paw paws trees are small to medium in size making them perfect for city gardens. They can also be grown in full sun to part shade.

Fresh pawpaw fruit can often be found at farmer’s markets in the eastern US and at many festivals that celebrate this unique fruit. Beyond the native range of Asimina triloba really the only way to get pawpaw fruit is to grow your own.

Paw paw fruit look a bit like a kidney-shaped mango. Inside the soft flesh offers a blend of delicious tropical flavours.

Cultivation Tips:

Pawpaws are native to rich, moist, shady bottom lands of deciduous forests. They can be grown in full to part sun though young plants often appreciate some shading for the first few years. They are tolerant of a variety of soils as long as they are well-drained with good fertility. They are hardy to zone 5. Pawpaws should be planted close together – 10-30 feet apart – to ensure that pollinating insects can easily travel between plants. Seed grown plants can take 6-7 years to reach blooming and fruiting size though we have often seen flowers on grafted plants that are only 2-3 feet high. That being said, trees will need to reach about 6 or more feet high before they begin producing good crops.

Important breeding work carried out at Kentucky State University and by other experts like Neal Peterson has brought us many notable cultivars with excellent attributes as compared to seed-grown trees such as early-ripening, enhanced fruit flavour and size, greater productivity, and, in some cases, precociousness with good crops even on relatively young plants.

Every year we offer many different cultivars of pawpaw for in-person shopping and mail order shipping across Canada. This fall we are excited to offer 14 different named cultivars. Gardeners in cool summer climates such as the West Coast should consider growing the earlier-ripening varieties in order to get good crops before the season begins to cool.

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