MOST WANTED FRUIT TREES

• Apple, "Pink Lady"; great fresh, cooked or baked; zones 7-9
• Apple, "Red June"; great fresh; also for cooked cider; zones 5-9
• Carob; cultivars exist; hardy down to 20F
• Cherry, Sweet, "Stella"; good quality; black fruit; self-fertile; upright & spreading
• Cherry, Tart, "North Star"; perfect for pies or preserves; a 7' tall natural dwarf; zones 5-9A
• Grapefruit, "Rio Red"; excellent juice; sweet & tart grape-like flavor; quality very good; intensely rich, red pulp
• Grapefruit, "Star Ruby"; [1930s]; intensely red pulp & juice, 3 times more than "Ruby Red"; check to see if some are radiation mutant cultivars or not
• Grapefruit, "Triumph"; [1884]; aka "Isle of Pines"; exceptional quality; no bitterness; rich flavor; sweet; tender; very juicy; low acid; moderately vigorous tree; an orange-grapefruit hybrid
• Hackberry, American; south to zone 10
• Hackberry, European; zones 8-10
• Hawthorn; varieties suitable for southern Florida
• Jujube, Chinese, "Lang"
• Jujube, Chinese, "Li"; sweet apple flavor; crisp; zones 6-10
• Jujube, Chinese, "Sherwood"; sweet maple syrup flavor; zones 6-10
• Jujube, Chinese, "So"; crisp apple flavor; very large fruit; dwarf weeping tree with a zig-zag habit; zones 6-10
• Jujube, Chinese, "Tigertooth"; dry or preserve in honey, in jars for candy; long & thin fruit; zones 6-10
• Kumquat, "Meiwa"; the best kumquat; rind is rich & sweet as candy
• Lemon, "Bearss"; [1952, Lutz, FL]; rich flavor; tart finish reminiscent of sour berries; aromatic oil
• Lemon, "Improved Meyer"; excellent flavor; nearly everbearing; moderate vigor; small to medium tree
• Loquat, "Premier"; said to be the sweetest; excellent flavor
• Mandarin, "Clementine"; [Algeria]; excellent distinctive flavor; like apricot nectar; sweet; rich; juicy; fine quality
• Mandarin, "Cleopatra"; fine flavor
• Mandarin, "Dancy"; [1867]; aka Christmas Tangerine; superior; fine quality; rich flavor; sweet with a tart plum finish; easy to peel
• Mandarin, "Ponkan"; sweet; melting flesh; rich; aromatic; tender; mild; juicy; pleasant; vigorous tree
• Mandarin, "Satsuma"; distinct tropical fruit flavor; honey sweet; less acidic; very juicy; zipper peel; cold hardy; zones 8B-10
• Mulberry, "Collier"; quality very good; sweet, with just a trace of tartness; purple-black fruit; long ripening period; very productive; spraeding tree
• Mulberry, "Shangri La"; [Naples, FL]; deliciously exotic; prized fruit; 2" long; black fruit; hardy down to 0F
• Mulberry, "Sweet Lilac"; very sweet; juicy; large lavender-colored fruit; hardy down to 10F
• Nectarine, "Gulfgold"; [Univ. of FL, no patent]; sweetest of the Gulf series; makes the best dried fruits of the Gulf series; yellow skin with red blush; dwarf tree
• Nectarine, "Suncoast"; excellent tangy sweet flavor; self-fertile; 375-400 chill hours
• Nectarine, "Sunmist"; rated 10 out of 10 for flavor; excellent taste & aroma; white flesh
• Nectarine, "Sunred"; excellent dessert quality; 300 chill hours; for FL
• Nectarine, "UF Queen"; 10 out of 10 rating for flavor; excellent flavor
• Olive, European, "Arbequina"; [mid 1900s]; excellent & valued oil; high oil content; bears in 2-3 years; propagated by cuttings; self-fertile; Andy's most wanted olive
• Olive, European, "Barouni"; [1905]; black table olive; regular bearer; not for making oil; small 15-25' tree; spreading top
• Olive, European, "Manzanillo"; [1875]; exceptional quality; high oil content; medium to large fruit; black when ripe; low & spreading tree; 15-30' tall; Andy's second most wanted olive
• Olive, European, "Mission"; [1769]; a table olive; high oil content; tall, upright tree; 40-50' tall; hardy down to 8F
• Orange, "Glen Navel"; flavor reminds one of mango & papaya; one of the most succulent navels; loaded with flavor
• Orange, "Moro" Blood; pleasant flavor; berrylike overtones; sweet to tart taste; juicy; dark red pulp
• Orange, "Pineapple"; rich flavor, though sweet; tender; juicy; pineapple-scented pulp
• Orange, "Rhode Red"; flavor of a ripe delicious apple; juicy; deep orange pulp
• Orange, "Roble"; [1851]; superior quality; highly recommended; melonlike sweetness
• Paw Paw, "Mango"; mango-like flavor; one of the most vigorous paw paws; zones 4-9
• Paw Paw, "Wilson"; deliciously sweet; zones 4-9
• Peach, "Sunbest"; rated 8 out of 10 for flavor
• Peach, "Tropic Beauty"; rated 8 out of 10 for flavor; excellent flavor & quality; flavor-filled; melting flesh; very good firmness
• Peach, "UF 2000"; rated 8 out of 10 for flavor; excellent flavor
• Peach, "UF Beauty"; 9 out of 10 rating for flavor
• Peach, "UF Blaze"; 9 out of 10 rating for flavor
• Peach, "UF Gold"; 9 out of 10 rating for flavor; excellent flavor
• Pear, Asian, "Chojuro"; [introduced 1895]; consistently ranked as one of the best flavored asian pears; like butterscotch
• Pear, Asian, "Hosui"; one of the best; excellent quality; very sweet; juicy; like and apple; zones 6-9
• Pear, Asian, "Nitaka"; great fresh or canned; candy sweet; very sweet; juicy; zones 6-9
• Pear, Asian, "Olympic"; very good flavor; very juicy; excellent storage life; 3/4 lb. fruit
• Pear, Asian, "Shinko"; sometimes top rated for flavor; rich & distinct flavor; very sweet; juicy; crisp; stores well; regular heavy crops; need 500 chill hours
• Pear, Asian; "Shinseiki"; excellent sweet tart flavor; juicy; zones 6-9
• Pear, Asian, "Tsu Li"; [old Chinese variety]; rated one of the best for flavor & juciness; distinct aroma; sweet; juicy; tender; crisp
• Pear, Asian, "Ya Li"; [old Chinese variety]; juicy; tender; crisp; aroma is distinctly fragrant
• Pear, Southern Cross, "Flordahome"; [Univ. of FL]; good fresh; sweet; mild; melting; tender; juicy; excellent for canning; stores well; very productive; 150 chill hours
• Pear, Southern Cross, "Pineapple"; good fresh; somewhat reminiscent of pineapple; excellent for canning; productive; vigorous; 100-250 chill hours
• Persimmon, Oriental, "Chocolate" (astringent type); choice of connoisseurs; superb flavor; spicy; sweet; firm
• Persimmon, Oriental, "Coffee Cake" (non-astringent type); aka "Nishimura Wase"; delectable flavor; unique spicy-sweet taste
• Persimmon, Oriental, "Giant Hanafuyu" (non-astringent type); excellent flavor; sweet; rich; exceptionally large fruit
• Persimmon, Oriental, "Hachiya" (astringent type); rated as one of the best for flavor; perfect jelly-flesh; high quality; flavorful; rich; sweet
• Persimmon, Oriental, "Hanafuyu" (non-astringent type); aka "Yotsundani" or "Giant Fuyu"; excellent flavor; sweet; rich
• Persimmon, Oriental, "Honan Red" (astringent type); ranked among the best by gourmets; excellent flavor; very sweet; rich; fiber-free
• Persimmon, Oriental, "Jiro" (non-astringent type); excellent flavor & quality
• Persimmon, Oriental, "Matsumoto Wase Fuyu" (non-astringent type); very much like Fuyu in flavor & quality
• Persimmon, Oriental, "Suruga" (non-astringent type); excellent quality; sweetest non-astringent; rich; maple syrup flavor; dense flesh
• Plum, "Bruce"; flavor is tops; sweet & mellow; makes a delicious jelly; zones 8B-9 (Michael Maconckney says 6-8)
• Plum, "Gulf Blaze"; excellent flavor; needs another Gulf series pollinator; zones 8B-9; 250 chill hours
• Plum; top rated varieties
• Pomegranate, "Balegal"; very sweet; pale pink skin; 3" fruit
• Pomegranate, "Early Wonderful"; delicious; large fruit; very productive; late season
• Pomegranate, "Fleishman"; very good quality; the sweetest pomegranate; 3" fruit; pink inside & out
• Pomegranate, "Francis"; [Jamaica]; only variety recommended by Maurice Kong for Florida; sweet; large fruit; productive; prolific; split-resistant
• Pomegranate, "Green Globe"; [Calif.]; excellent quality; sweet; aromatic; large fruit; green skin
• Sugarberry; C. laevigata; south to zone 10
• Tangelo, "Nocatee"; [1897]; rich; tangy; strong grapefruit tones
• Tangelo, "Orlando"
• Wampi
• Wampi, Pink
• White Sapote, "Bravo"; has won taste tests; great flavor; over-sized fruit
• White Sapote, "Leroy's"; [Calif.]; distinct butterscotch-like flavor; rich; sweet; long ripening period; 6-8 oz. fruit
• White Sapote, "McDill"; excellent eating quality; flesh sweet but not cloying; vigorous; prolific; precocious
• White Sapote, "Sunrise"; excellent quality; very well-textured; delicate lemon-like flavor; sweet but not cloying; medium to large fruit, 6-10 oz.; easily bruised; sometimes gives 2 crops
• White Sapote, "Vernon"; excellent flavor; very sweet; keeps relatively well; long bearing time; very productive; dependable

MOST WANTED NUT TREES

• Almond; some varieties only need 200 chill hours
• Pecan, Eastern, "Desirable"; very good quality; meaty; consistant bearer; very prolific; highly resistant to scab
• MOST WANTED FRUITING BUSHES/SHRUBS -
• Blueberry, Southern Highbush, "Avonblue"; best quality southern highbush; mild & acid flavor; medium to large fruit; 4-5' tall; spreading
• Blueberry, Southern Highbush, "Flordablue"; [1984]; very good quality; medium to large fruit; stores well; self-fertile; 5-6' tall
• Blueberry, Southern Highbush, "Misty"; excellent quality; sweet; very large fruit; zones 5-10
• Blueberry, Souhern Highbush; top rated varieties
• Carissa, Egyptian; Carissa edulis; sweet; pleasant
• Fig, "Black Mission"; [1768]; excellent quality both fresh & dried; distinctive rich flavor
• Fig, "Giant Celeste"; one of the best for drying & preserves; zones 7-10
• Fig, "Green Ischia"; high to very good quality; dark purple pulp; white flesh; zones 8B-10
• Fig, "Italian Honey", excellent flavor; zones 8B-10
• Fig, "Jelly"
• Fig, "King" [1940]; aka "Desert King"; quality excellent; sweet; pink flesh
• Fig, "Large Brown Turkey"; delicious; good quality; rich flavor; zones 7-10
• Fig, "Negronne"; aka "Violette de Bordeux"; very good quality; fairly rich; prolific; dwarf tree
• Fig, "Petite Negri"; exceedingly rich flavor; sweet; black fruit; excellent in pots; 65 fruits from a two gallon pot possible
• Fig, "Ventura"; strawberry jam flavor; very strong & rich flavor; deep ruby red flesh; green skin; small compact bush; zones 7-10
• Gumi; aka Goumi; cultivars exist
• Gumi, "Red Cherry"; Eleagnus multiflora; zones 7-9
• Japanese Raisin Tree; 30' tall x 20-25' wide; zones 5-10
• Karanda; Carissa carandas; hardy down to 25-26F
• Kei Apple; Dovyalis caffra; hardy down to 21-22F
• Lingaro; no known varieties; hardy down to 25F
• Natal Plum
• Pineapple, "Antigua Black"; particularly delicious
• Pineapple, "Honey Gold"; rich flavor; very aromatic; often to 15 lbs.
• Pineapple, "Natal Queen"; fine delicate flavor; aromatic; juicy; crisp
• Pineapple, "Pernumbco"; aka "Eleuthra" or "Abacaxi"
• MOST WANTED FRUITING PALM TREES -
• Date Palm, "Dayri"; [Iraq]; aka "Dairee" or "Dairi"; good flavor; heavy sweetness; soft; ripens well in high humidity
• Date Palm, "Halawi"; [Algeria]; aka "Halawy"; sweet & honey-like; medium to large fruit; keeps well; possibly tolerant of humidity
• Date Palm, "Khadrawy"; [Iraq]; extremely pleasant rich flavor; firm; meaty; medium to large fruit; possibly tolerant of humidity
• Date Palm, "Thoory"; [Algeria]; aka Bread Date; sweet; nutty; delicate; heavy bearer; keeps one year or more; possibly tolerant of humidity

MOST WANTED FRUITING VINES

• Grape, Muscadine, "Black Beauty"; one of the best black muscadines; excellent flavor; 3 star ranking by Andy
• Grape, Muscadine, "Black Fry"; excellent flavor & distinctive flavor; 4 star ranking by Andy
• Grape, Muscadine, "Fry"; excellent flavor & quality; 5 star ranking by Andy
• Grape, Muscadine, "Southland"; excellent flavor; 3 star ranking by Andy
• Grape, Muscadine, "Sugargate"; one of the best black muscadines; excellent flavor; 3 star ranking by Andy
• Grape, Table, "Daytona"; [1983]; dessert quality excellent; sweet; juicy; resistant to Pierce's Disease
• Grape, Table, "Lake Emerald"; well-flavored; agreeable; sweet; uniquely fragrant; aromatic juice; for FL; high yields; tolerant of Pierce's Disease
• Grape, "Orlando Seedless"; [1985]; excellent table & juice grape; very sweet; pleasant flavor; first seedless variety resistant to Pirce's Disease
• Grape, Table, "Suwanee"; [1983]; excellent flavor; high quality; much like "Thompson Seedless"; makes very good wine; very vigorous; resistant to Pierce's Disease

MOST WANTED CANE FRUITS

• Blackberry, "Navaho"; [Univ. of Arkansas]; possibly the best-flavored blackberry; thornless; self-supporting
• Longanberry
• Raspberry, "Southland"; best raspberry for southernmost gardens
• Raspberry, Ceylon, "Mysore"; hardy down to 20-29F

MOST WANTED EDIBLE CACTUS FRUITS

• Dragon Fruit, "American Beauty"; Hylocereus guatemalensis; 5 out of 5 rating for flavor, appearance & home planting; 0.5-1.0 lb. fruit; self-fertile
• Dragon Fruit, "Cosmic Charlie"; Hylocereus undatus; 5 out of 5 rating for flavor & appearance; a superb grape-kiwi-like flavor; magenta flesh; medium to large fruit, 0.75-1.25 lbs.; self-fertile
• Dragon Fruit, "Dark Star"; Hylocereus undatus; rated 5 out of 5 for flavor & appearance; mild grape-like flavor; medium to large fruit, 0.75-1.25 lbs.; attractive long skinny bracts or fins make it especially attractive; self-fertile
• Dragon Fruit, "David Bowie"; Hylocereus undatus; rated 5 out of 5 for flavor, appearance & home planting; somewhat acidic lemony taste; white flesh; lipstick red skin; medium to large fruit, best eaten fresh, also good for juicing; up to one pound; self-fertile
• Dragon Fruit, "Delight"; Hylocereus polyrhizus x undatus; [seedling selection from Calif. Rare Fruit Growers]; rated 5 out of 5 for flavor & home planting; sweet; smooth texture; very light pink flesh; medium to large fruit, 0.75-1.0 lbs; self-fertile
• Dragon Fruit, "Haley's Comet"; rated 5 out of 5 for flavor, appearance, home & commercial planting; incredibly large fruit, 1.5-2.0 lbs.
• Dragon Fruit, "Makisupa"; Hylocereus undatus x polyrhizus; rated 5 out of 5 for flavor; excellent sweet yet slightly astringent taste; medium to large, up to one lb.; magenta flesh; attractive fruit; self-pollinating
• Dragon Fruit, "Physical Graffiti"; Hylocereus polyrhizus x h. undatus; rated 5 out of 5 for flavor, appearance, home & commercial planting; remarkably delicious; a gorgeous looking fruit; showy inside & out; large fruit, 0.75-1.5 lbs.; self-fertile
• Dragon Fruit, "Purple Haze"; Hylocereus undatus; rated 5 out of 5 for flavor, appearance & commercial planting; pleasant grape-kiwi-like flavor; sweet; relatively few seeds; magenta flesh; eaten fresh or juiced; large fruit, up to 2 lbs.; self-fertile
• Dragon Fruit, "Yellow Dragon"; Selenicereus megalanthus; rated 5 out of 5 for flavor & home planting; among the sweetest & tastiest of all the dragon fruits; fruits have thorns that must be removed; small to medium fruits, 0.5-0.75 lbs.; ripend late Nov-Feb; self-fertile
• Dragon Fruit, "Voodoo Child"; rated 5 out of 5 for flavor; exceptionally flavorful; sweet grape-like taste; eaten fresh or in combination with other juices; sangria-colored; small fruit, slightly larger than an egg; self-fertile
• Neocardenasia herzogiana; finest tasting cactus fruit; pineapple-strawberry flavor
• Prickly Pear Cactus; Opuntia species
• Strawberry Cactus; Echinocereus enneacanthus; fruit preserves cannot be distinguished from strawberry jam

MOST WANTED SMALL FRUITING PLANTS

• Strawberry, "Allstar"; best of the best; excellent flavor; good quality; large fruit; high yields; vigorous; productive; disease resistant; zones 5-9
• Strawberry, "Ozark Beauty"; great flavor; high sugar content; dessert quality very good; very mild; sweet; everbearing; large fruit; very productive; numerous runners; zones 4-9
• Strawberry, "Sequoia"; excellent flavor; tender; exceptionally large fruit; bruises easily; harvest frequently