Simpson's Stopper is a fruiting shrub or small tree native to Florida, among other exotic locales like the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, all the way south through Colombia and Venezuela. It is a member of the Eucalyptus family and produces springtime flowers, colorful berries, and fragrant evergreen leaves. 

The leaves have a warm nostalgic fall-like aroma when crushed - think spicey cinnamon and citrus.  The showy white flowers are also very fragrant and are followed by red-orange berries in mid-summer and early fall. While these berries are edible and the fast-growing shrub is heavily utilized as a popular landscaping hedge, the plants are not often grown for the citrusy flavored berry - yet.  I'll admit that the flavor and texture won't absolutely knock your socks off, but it's not unpalatable by any means and it really is a beautiful and useful native shrub.  We love the look, texture, fragrance, and pop of color that growing Simpon's Stopper adds to our edible landscape!

African Potato Mint is a really unique and somewhat rare perennial (or annual!) ground cover and edible root plant.  It's in the mint family of plants and is indigenous to parts of Africa and India. This lovely, sprawling ground cover grows effortlessly almost anywhere and we have ours planted in a variety of locations, from medicinal herb beds in full sun to underneath the lightly shaded canopy's of fruit trees. 

Snowbank White Blackberry is a vigorous disease-resistant trailing plant that produces large, creamy snowy white blackberries, with the same juicy, sweet and vibrant flavor of a normal blackberry. White Blackberries are truly one of a kind!  The were developed by legendary plant breeder Luther Burbank and are somewhat translucent and white in color.

Red Abyssinian is a very attractive perennial plant that adds a brilliant pop of color to any landscape. It's closely related to banana plants and has a very tropical, with the added bonus of cold tolerance to Zone 8!  It's sometimes referred to as False Banana, Enset, or Ensente. Red Abyssinian is cultivated for it's highly ornamental red to burgundy foliage and edible root.  Although the root is rare to consume in the U.S., it's a very important food crop in Ethiopia. 

Annatto aka Achiote, Lipstick Tree, or Bija is a tropical shrub or small tree native to South America and Southeast Asia.  Fruits are heart-shaped, brown or reddish brown at maturity, and are covered with short stiff hairs. When fully mature, the fruits split open exposing numerous red seeds. Although it does not produce an edible fruit per se, the Achiote is widely grown for the vibrant orange-red pulp that covers the seeds.

The Achiote dye, which is prepared by stirring the seeds in water, is used to color butter, cheese, rice and other foods. To harvest Annatto, bag the seed heads to capture ripening seed, allow the seed heads to dry on the plants; remove and collect seeds once they are dried.

Ask SE co-founder, Jared, what he thinks about Pineapple Guava plants and he'll say, "they have the ultimate best tasting flowers of any edible flower in the world! It's crazy how good it tastes!"  The tree has a waxy flower with, what Jared calls, a flavor that is fragrant, sweet, fruity, and tropical.  The fruit is about the size and shape of a kiwi, with a waxy fuzzy texture on the outer skin like a pear. It has a very sweet aroma before even fully ripe.  It tastes like a cross between a pineapple and a guava with a hint of mint.

Pineapple Guava fruit tree's are easy to grow and well-suited for the ground or a container.  It has heavy production within 3-5 years of planting, especially on the west coast. We recommend planting two for the best pollination and production.

Aztec Sweet Herb (Lippia dulcis) is a quick growing ground cover that sends out horizontal runners, and is a perennial herb native to Mexico and Central America. It is from the Verbenaceae family and may also be known by the common names such as Mexican Lippia, Bushy Lippia and Honey Herb. It grows well in areas that receive full sunlight and requires a warm climate with soil pH ranging between 6.0 - 8.0. 

It's leaves are extremely sweet, known to be 1500 times sweeter than ordinary sugar. It's important to consult a medical professional before consuming this plant because Aztec Sweet Herb's chemical make up contains a lot of camphor and in large doses camphor can be toxic to the nervous system. Hence why this plant is not marketed commercially as a sweetener. 

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.

Rare beautiful vine with edible flowers native to Central and South America.

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!

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.