So I’m still unpacking some boxes but it’s finally looking home like enough that my wife is starting to come up with chores. In the backyard we have this old beat up wooden trellis and an ugly cactus plant growing. Well it has some truly weird space alien looking pods growing out of it. My wife wanted it gone but she got curious and cut one down. It’s called dragon fruit. I’ve had it in smoothies and açaí bowls but never saw one before. It’s very mild yet tasty. We made a smoothie with it and it was fantastic. I guess I now have to figure out how to build a new trellis without killing the now “my wife’s favorite plant”.

This guy? Yeah, dragon fruit is awesome.

Bought one and tried it for the first time a few months ago. Very mild. Neat fruit. Didn’t think to make a smoothie with it, I’ll have to try that out.

I believe they grow like crazy in Vietnam.

Yup, that’s it. Having never seen it before it is a goofy looking fruit in real life. I enjoyed the taste though. Not sure I would have cut it open and ate it if my wife hadn’t done the research. We also have a tree that has these huge lime looking fruit. Looks like a lime on steroids. She found it online as well. Something like palmonella or something. They are just tart without being very good. Maybe we cut them too early or too late.

I used to buy it from a woman on the beach at Na Trang.

Cool and delicious.

The natives called it hon lo(sp).

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
We also have a tree that has these huge lime looking fruit. Looks like a lime on steroids. She found it online as well. Something like palmonella or something.

Pomelo

Yep that’s it. I hate grapefruit so maybe I just hate this too. Lol Pomelo.

Dragon Fruit, I like it. But it is as expensive as heck, app $6.00 each at HEB.

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Yep that’s it. I hate grapefruit so maybe I just hate this too. Lol Pomelo.

You seem to have a lot of fruit bearing trees/plants on your property that you never knew about and/or don't like. Did all this come as a gradual surprise or did these plants spring up overnight?

Dragon Fruit is awesome!

Ha ha. Yup, we just moved from Maryland down to Florida at the end of last month. When we did our walkthroughs I didn’t really pay much attention to the backyard foliage. If you care we also have 3 fruit bearing papaya trees. Don’t think I have ever tasted that either, lol. The critters around my house are very well fed.

Sounds like you had Southeast Asian owners of the house previously.

Papaya has some very good health benefits.

Looks cool. Btw, i have never seen it before

Very good guess. They were Vietnamese. Very into horticulture. The backyard had a long row of planters with what I took to be Banzai trees. Never really noticed the actual trees.

The interesting one is a normal tree in the backyard but with what appears to be a spliced cacti looking growth on it. I imagine it was done on purpose. Looks.....interesting. Big growth too. Been growing for years obviously.

This new backyard is fun. Apparently though my wife said I’m topping the papaya trees at a much lower height. Can’t get the fruit otherwise and then they just drop and rot or put a hole in the screened lanai. So either it works or I just killed 3 papayas.

Have you identified all of the other fruit trees?

If not, keep an eye out for Longan, Loquat, Kumquat, Passion Fruit, Guava, persimmon.

Also, if you notice beds of weeds, you are likely looking at various herbs used in Vietnamese cooking: mint, basil, perilla, coriander, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Ha ha. Yup, we just moved from Maryland down to Florida at the end of last month. When we did our walkthroughs I didn’t really pay much attention to the backyard foliage. If you care we also have 3 fruit bearing papaya trees. Don’t think I have ever tasted that either, lol. The critters around my house are very well fed.

You need some pineapple plants and some coconuts and you are ready to be in tropical mixed drink heaven!

Had it in Singapore, good stuff, glad it grows here in the states.

HK Ag