Fruitsy's Fun Facts 🤭

Botanists classify fruits according to how they develop from a flower and the structure of the fruit, not according to the everyday meaning of the word 'berry.' That means: 🍌 Banana — botanical berry 🥑 Avocado — single-seeded berry 🍅 Tomato — botanical berry 🍇 Grape — botanical berry 🍓 Strawberry — not a botanical berry Raspberry/blackberry — aggregate fruits rather than botanical berries

Source: Bananas are Berries. Raspberries are Not. — McGill University

Ackee (Blighia sapida) is Jamaica's national fruit. It was imported from West Africa in the 18th century and is one of the two ingredients in Jamaica's national dish, ackee and saltfish.

Source: Ackee — Jamaican National Fruit — Jamaica Information Service

Soursop (Annona muricata) has a history of traditional medicine use, but human clinical evidence is insufficient for treating disease. Seeds should be avoided, and concentrated leaf products need professional safety advice. Educational content only — not medical advice.

Source: Soursop: benefits, risks and safety — MD Anderson Cancer Center

UF/IFAS notes that mango originated in the Indo-Burma region and is indigenous to India and Southeast Asia.

Source: Mango Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

UF/IFAS reports that mango has been cultivated in India for more than 4,000 years, long before it spread around the tropical world.

Source: Mango Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

UF/IFAS reports that the period from mango flowering to fruit maturity is about 100 to 150 days.

Source: Mango Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

Sweetsop, also called sugar apple, is Annona squamosa. UF/IFAS identifies it as indigenous to tropical America.

Source: Sugar Apple Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

UF/IFAS describes sugar apple or sweetsop as an aggregate fruit made of loosely cohering segments that become easy to separate when ripe.

Source: Sugar Apple Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

Kew lists the native range of Spondias dulcis, the June plum, from eastern Malesia to the Santa Cruz Islands.

Source: Spondias dulcis Parkinson — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

UF/IFAS identifies sapodilla, known in Jamaica as naseberry, as native to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and Central America.

Source: Sapodilla Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

UF/IFAS notes that the milky latex from sapodilla or naseberry is called chicle and was historically a principal ingredient of chewing gum.

Source: Sapodilla Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

Kew's Flora of the Cayman Islands description records Spondias mombin, or hog plum, with ellipsoid to obovoid fruit about 3 to 4 cm long that turns orange to yellow when ripe.

Source: Spondias mombin L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

UF/IFAS advises that carambola, or star fruit, does not increase in sugar after picking, so fruit intended for best sweetness should be harvested at the proper mature color.

Source: Carambola Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

UF/IFAS lists fresh eating along with pickles, sauces, wines, jellies, preserves and dried products among uses for carambola.

Source: Carambola Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

Kew lists the native range of Litchi chinensis from southwestern Guangdong in China through Peninsula Malaysia, Borneo and the Philippines.

Source: Litchi chinensis Sonn. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

UF/IFAS notes that lychee does not come true from seed and that air layering is the most common propagation method used in Florida.

Source: Lychee Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

Kew lists Annona reticulata, commonly called custard apple, as native from Mexico to northeastern Venezuela and records it as introduced into Jamaica.

Source: Annona reticulata L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists the native range of Artocarpus heterophyllus, jackfruit, as southwestern India.

Source: Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew's botanical description notes that jackfruit inflorescences occur on the main branches and trunk, a growth habit associated with large tropical fruits.

Source: Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. — general information — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Syzygium malaccense as native from Indo-China to Vanuatu and records it as introduced into Jamaica.

Source: Syzygium malaccense (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew describes breadfruit as a highly specialised syncarp, a multiple fruit produced by the adhesion of fruits from many flowers.

Source: Artocarpus altilis — Kew Species Profile — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew notes that breadfruit has been widely cultivated in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region for thousands of years and is now grown throughout the tropics.

Source: Artocarpus altilis — Kew Species Profile — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew's Flora of the Cayman Islands description of Hymenaea courbaril, also called stinking toe, describes one to eight seeds embedded in dryish edible pulp.

Source: Hymenaea courbaril L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists the native range of Carica papaya from southern Mexico through parts of Central America to Venezuela.

Source: Carica papaya L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew classifies Carica papaya in the family Caricaceae, separate from melons and gourds despite its melon-like appearance.

Source: Carica papaya L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew accepts Artocarpus camansi as a distinct species in the same genus as breadfruit and lists its native range from Maluku to Papuasia.

Source: Artocarpus camansi Blanco — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Ananas comosus as native from Costa Rica to southern tropical America.

Source: Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew classifies Ananas comosus in Bromeliaceae, the bromeliad family.

Source: Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Annona montana, mountain soursop, as native across tropical America, including Jamaica.

Source: Annona montana Macfad. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Cocos nucifera as native from Central Malesia to the southwestern Pacific and widely introduced across the tropics.

Source: Cocos nucifera L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew classifies Cocos nucifera in Arecaceae, the palm family.

Source: Cocos nucifera L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Syzygium jambos as native to southern Yunnan and western Malesia and records it as introduced into Jamaica.

Source: Syzygium jambos (L.) Alston — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Plants of the World Online currently lists the accepted native range of Tamarindus indica as Comoros and Madagascar, while noting its very ancient cultivation and wider tropical history.

Source: Tamarindus indica L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew explains that Arab sea traders combined the Arabic words associated with date palm and India into tamr hindi, the origin of the common name tamarind.

Source: Tamarindus indica L. — Kew Species Profile — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew describes tamarind's sticky acidic pulp as a long-used food ingredient, including in confectionery, curries and pickles.

Source: Tamarindus indica L. — Kew Species Profile — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Plants of the World Online lists Psidium guajava as a cultigen from Peru and shows its wide introduction throughout the tropics.

Source: Psidium guajava L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew classifies Psidium guajava in Myrtaceae, the myrtle family.

Source: Psidium guajava L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Syzygium cumini, commonly called Java plum or jamun, as native from tropical and subtropical Asia to northern Queensland.

Source: Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Passiflora edulis as native from Brazil through Paraguay to northeastern Argentina.

Source: Passiflora edulis Sims — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew describes passion fruit as a liana, a woody or climbing vine adapted to tropical conditions.

Source: Passiflora edulis Sims — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Averrhoa bilimbi, known in Jamaica as jimbilin, as native to Central and Eastern Malesia and records it as a food plant.

Source: Averrhoa bilimbi L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew classifies Chrysophyllum cainito, star apple or caimito, in the family Sapotaceae.

Source: Chrysophyllum cainito L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew's botanical description records star apple fruit as greenish-yellow or purplish with soft pulp.

Source: Chrysophyllum cainito L. — general information — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Plants of the World Online records Jamaica in the introduced distribution of Chrysophyllum cainito.

Source: Chrysophyllum cainito L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Melicoccus bijugatus, guinep or mamoncillo, as native to Colombia and Venezuela.

Source: Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew's descriptions of Melicoccus bijugatus record green to yellow fruit around 2 to 3 cm in diameter with edible pulp.

Source: Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq. — general information — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew records Jamaica among the introduced locations for Melicoccus bijugatus.

Source: Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists the native range of Persea americana from Central Mexico to Costa Rica.

Source: Persea americana Mill. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew notes archaeological avocado remains from Coxcatlan, Mexico, from about 10,000 BC and evidence of cultivation by about 8,000 BC.

Source: Persea americana Mill. — Kew Species Profile — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Coccoloba uvifera as native from Florida through the Caribbean to northern South America, including Jamaica.

Source: Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew classifies Coccoloba uvifera in Polygonaceae. Despite the common name sea grape, it is not a member of the true grape family Vitaceae.

Source: Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew's Flora of the Cayman Islands description records sea grape as a shrub or tree with orbicular to kidney-shaped leaves, commonly around 8 to 15 cm long.

Source: Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. — general information — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Pouteria sapota as native from Mexico to Central America.

Source: Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) H.E.Moore & Stearn — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

UF/IFAS describes mamey sapote fruit as a berry with salmon-pink to reddish flesh, commonly weighing from about 0.75 to 6 pounds.

Source: Mamey Sapote Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

UF/IFAS reports that mamey sapote fruit can require roughly 13 to 24 months from flowering until maturity.

Source: Mamey Sapote Growing in the Florida Home Landscape — University of Florida IFAS Extension

Kew identifies watermelon as a member of Cucurbitaceae, the same plant family that includes cucumbers, melons, loofahs, pumpkins and squashes.

Source: Citrullus lanatus — Kew Species Profile — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew notes that watermelon seeds and leaves found in ancient Egyptian tombs suggest the crop was cultivated more than 5,000 years ago.

Source: Citrullus lanatus — Kew Species Profile — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew's species profile describes watermelon as bearing separate male and female yellow flowers on the same annual trailing or climbing plant.

Source: Citrullus lanatus — Kew Species Profile — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew lists Selenicereus undatus, a common dragon fruit species, as a succulent epiphyte in the cactus family, native from Mexico to Honduras.

Source: Selenicereus undatus (Haw.) D.R.Hunt — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew