Anise Hyssop, also known as blue giant hyssop, fragrant giant hyssop and lavender giant hyssop, is an easy to grow, herbaceous perennial herb of the Lamiaceae family, or mint family. Both the flowers and leaves have an intense licorice aroma and a bitter-minty flavor. The blossoms are often eaten as a salad garnish, and fresh or dried leaves may be brewed into a soothing tea. 

Anise Hyssop is a pollinator magnet and is a great addition to any type of garden. It grows 2-4 feet tall and about 1-3 feet wide and thrives in sun to partial shade. It can tolerate a wide range of soils as long as there is good drainage and is tolerant to drought, making it a great addition to any water wise gardens. 

Hyssop can be used as a cough and cold remedy, usually in the form of a tea. It loosens mucus, aids in congestion, and lessens the symptoms colds, flu, sinus infections, and bronchitis.

The Alachua Muscadine is a low-maintenance self-fertile grape variety that is resistant to Pierce's Disease. Large, delicious fruit ripen very uniformly in large bunches. The fruit have a thick skin but soft and juicy interior. The Alachua Muscadine's resistance and dry stem scar make this grape variety an ideal choice for the home garden, especially in the south.

This gorgeous early season (150-200 chill hours) blueberry variety, 'Sunshine Blue', fruits abundantly AND is perfect for southern states! This cultivar is specifically bred to thrive in these southern sunny regions. That's why we love it so much here in Florida. Sunshine Blue Blueberry is self-pollinating and bears medium sized fruit with exceptional sweet and tangy flavor. It's a dwarf semi-evergreen bush and is excellent for containers and adapted for vigorous, productive growth. It is a gorgeous ornamental, with captivating color changing foliage and hot-pink flowers. Sunshine Blue blueberries are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Compared to our other Blueberry varieties, the Sunshine Blue will have a mature size of 2-4 feet, fruits most prolifically in the Spring, and grows best in Zones 5-10.

Java Ginseng is a perennial herb/succulent sub-shrub in the Talinaceae family that is native to much of the western hemisphere. It is commonly known as Fameflower, Jewels-of-Opar, or Pink Baby's-breath and can be grown as an ornamental plant or for it's medicinal uses. The root can be harvested for it's medicinal uses . It has succulent leaves that are glossy and bright green with wispy sprays of pink flowers. Java Ginseng is a very easy plant to grow with little care. It propagates by self-seeding. As it becomes more mature, the plant begins to clump, and become semi-creeping. We plant Java Ginseng under fruit trees in our food forest, mixed in with herb beds, or as a focal point along pathways. 

The younger, tender leaves and shoots can be harvested as vegetables and used in salads. But don't let it's rather delicate and light appearance fool you; Java Ginseng can grow quite large and, although somewhat short-lived, it is a very hardy herb!

Rare Red Toon, also known as Toona Tree, Chinese Toon, and Chinese Mohagony, is a very rare small tree/shrub known for it's nutritious vegetable-like leaves that are high in protein and Vitamin A. Their unique flavor is somewhat spicy and resembles browned onions. Toon's edible parts are the young tender shoots and leaves. The red leaf flavor is considered much butter than the green leaf. 

Native to eastern and southeastern Asia (North Korea, China, Nepal, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia) and is a temperate-climate deciduous member of the mahogany family. The wood is highly sought after and is used to create the bodies of electric guitars. Grown in full sun exposure, Chinese Red Toon typically grows 15-20 feet tall but often is cut to the ground to maintain an interesting and colorful bonsai-esque lower planting. The 1-2 foot long pointed oblong leaflets emerge in many tones of red, bright pink, then turn to green with age. Summer flowers have lovely pale pink petals.

Iboza, aka Incense Bush (a name we're obsessed with by the way), is a highly aromatic medicinal herb from Southern Africa.  Iboza is fast growing shrubby plant with super fragrant unique velvety leaves and showy white flowers.  

The name Iboza is derived from the Zulu word referring to the aromatic leaves. The Zulu culture of Southern Africa have used this plant for centuries to relieve respiratory issues, stomach aches and headaches, through simply crushing and inhaling the leaves or making a tea from them. 

Hoan Ngoc (pronounced (Juan-nahk) originates from Vietnam. It thrives in heat and partial sun exposure. It is easy to grow in containers as long as you keep the soil damp and often feed it fertilizer for best results. This beautiful herb grows upright and branches to a small bush. It will grow to 4-5' in containers and make beautiful houseplants. It does yellow some during the Florida winters, so if you're keeping it potted, move indoors when the temperature drops below 50 degrees. Hoan Ngoc loves to be watered! You can water as much as 2x per day to keep the soil moist but not soggy.

The leaves of this medicinal herb have been used in in traditional Thai and Vietnamese remedies to treat various ailments related to digestive diseases. It is said to contain anti-microbial and anti-cancer properties and may help alleviate stomach inflammation, skin disease, lymph cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, migraines, liver inflammation, uterine pain, kidney inflammation and to provide general nourishment to bodies. Used in Thai cuisine in salads, soups, and stir fries. Good in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and up. Partial sun, mostly shaded area. Does not tolerate frost. It must be indoor or greenhouse in cold climates.

This Surinam Cherry tree produces an equally delicious, nutritious, and ornamental  fruit that has a rich, sweet, unique flavor.  The plant is primarily grown as a hedge and will succeed in a variety of locations, reaching no more than 25 ft at maturity.

These seedlings were cultivated from hand-selected varieties of great producing trees with optimal flavored fruit collected throughout central Florida.

Nanche, popularly called Nance, is a very attractive, very fast growing tropical fruiting shrub in the acerola family. Nance produces small yellow-orange fruit about the size and shape of a tropical cherry. Nance fruits have a starchy texture and are somewhat acidic but have a subtle sweetness when fully ripe.  Nance fruit can be eaten raw, fermented (chicha), juiced, distilled, candied, or prepared in deserts or carbonated drinks.

Nance is native to the tropical and subtropical Americas. In Central and South America, the Nance tree ranges from sea-level to an altitude of 6,000 ft. It is highly drought-tolerant, but not very cold hardy.  If you're planning to grow Nance in a cooler climate, over-winter indoors if possible.  Nance is very well-suited for container growing.

You may also know Byrsonima crassifolia by another of its many common names, including Changunga, Muruçi, Nanche, Nance, Chacunga, Craboo, Kraabu, Savanna Serrette and Golden Spoon.

Jamaican Oregano is a highly aromatic tropical perennial herb with a long history as a spice and medicine in the Caribbeans, and the Americas. It's a close relative of Aztec Sweet Herb.  Jamaican Oregano is a tender woody shrub with cascading branches.  The plant has small fragrant leaves and tiny white flowers that are very attractive to bees and other pollinators.  It can easily be grown in containers and over-wintered indoors. 

In the kitchen, Jamaican Oregano leaves have a similar flavor profile to Mediterranean Oregano, but the aroma and taste is much more rich and intense.  It is a staple spice in Caribbean cuisine. 

This plant really shines in the medicine cabinet and was traditionally used for asthma, bronchitis, common cold, cough, flu, oliguria, to support digestion and to ease stomach infections.  Other common names include Spanish Thyme, Oregano del Pais, Oregano Poleo, Puerto Rican Oregano, Dominican Oregano, Oregano Chiquito, False Thyme, Oregato and Oreganillo.

Photos: Herbs From Distant Lands, Useful Tropical Plants

Growing a Thai Guava fruit tree in North America requires a  tropical habitat, it loves sunny and warm locations and thrives in both humid and dry climates. It's rare to see these trees grown outside of California, Hawaii, and Texas due to tropical environment requirements, but it is possible to grow guavas in containers. It is important to know that these fruit trees are very frost tender, especially when young. They must have shelter from freezing winds, even in sunny warm climates where occasional icy temperatures occur.They are evergreen, shallow-rooted shrubs or small trees and produce sweetly scented flowers, small round, oval or pear shaped delicious fruits, and have a beautiful tropical appearance. The bark is smooth, green or reddish brown and peels off in thin flakes to reveal the attractive "bony" aspect of its trunk.

The guava plant thrives in any soil with good drainage and lots of nutrients. These trees love fertilizer, so regular application is recommended. Keep the soil slightly moist while the plant is young. At the time of fruiting (3-4 months after flowering the fruits will be mature), keep the soil evenly moist as this will help develop more juicy and sweet fruits. This fruit tree is very tough but you should keep an eye out for common garden pests.

Harvest - In warmer regions guavas will ripen all year. Guava fruits usually mature in 3 to 4 months after flowering. There is a distinctive change in the color and aroma of the guava that has ripened. For the best flavor, allow fruit to ripen on the tree. 

Jackfruit, a large evergreen fruit tree native to India, is known to produce the largest fruit in the world! The outer part of the Jackfruit is hard and textured. The fruit has an outer rind composed of composite pieces that attach to fleshy yellow fruit pulp that have a pulled-pork like texture.  When ripe and unopened, Jackfruit can smell slightly unpleasant, but when opened it smells and tastes like pineapple bubble gum! 

On average, a Jackfruit weighs about 35 pounds but in it's native climate have reportedly been found to weigh over 100 pounds!  Not only does Jackfruit have an incredibly unique look and flavor, but it is also a rich source of vitamin, minerals, phytonutrients, carbohydrate, electrolytes, fiber, fat and protein. It contains calories but no cholesterol or saturated fats. Due to it's texture it is often used as a vegan replacement for pulled pork sandwiches.  Extra fruit can be frozen for healthy smoothies or made into a variety of products, sauces, or even chips!

Artocarpus heterophyllus is the scientific name for the Jackfruit, a member of the fig family of plants and a relative to the Mulberry.  It is native to the southwest portion of the Indian subcontinent and is the national fruit of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.  Jackfruit grows primarily in tropical lowland climates and can bear upwards of 100-200 fruit a year at maturity!

The Loquat tree is a fast-growing, cold hardy ornamental fruiting edible landscape tree with a beautiful tropical look.  It produces a wonderful sweet, tart and tangy fruit from late Winter to early Spring.  Loquat, commonly known as Japanese Plum, is native to China and related to the rose, apple, and pear family.

Loquat trees are known to survive outdoors without protection in Zone 7. If your area is too cold this plant can easily be overwintered indoors and will grow well for decades in a container. 

Medicinally, Loquat leaves and fruit have high concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C.  The leaves can be used year round to make a tea.

AVAILABLE IN THE SPRING

White turmeric, popularly known as Zedoary or Kentjur, is a perennial herb and member of the ginger family Zingiberaceae. The plant is native to India and Indonesia but now naturalized in other places including the United States and the state of Florida.Turmeric spreads via it's underground rhizome.