John Prince is a 57 year old former Tree Cropper with a highly experimental focus, and a 6.16 hectare block on the warm, (but occasionally frosty!) free draining Redhill sandy loam soil type that covers parts of South Kaipara Head. He joined the Auckland branch of the TCA in late 1980, becoming Secretary almost immediately, a post he held for 5 years. He was then branch chairman for 2 more years. A university lecturer (American politics, Green politics) for nearly 3 decades, he has recently taken an early retirement option so as to focus on plants full time. An active member of the Palm and Cycad Society of NZ, his interests also include warm climate ornamentals. His partner, Rosemary, has been national president and newsletter editor of the Heritage Roses Society of NZ, and she puts out a large (well over 200 spp.) seedlist each year of mainly temperate plants, all from plants grown by her (Grandma's Seeds).
The focus of this talk is not on rare fruits that might be cajoled into growing as pampered pets. Nor is it on oddball fruits that fall into the category of 'curiosities’, although there are plenty of both at `Nestlebrae Exotics', and some will be pointed out during the tour of the property. (e.g. Eugenia uvalha, E. uniflora, E. victoriana, Carica papaya, Carica quercifolia, Litchi chinensis, Dimocarpus longan, Rollinia deliciosa, mangoes , over 30 passionfruit species or cvs., and Black, Green, Yellow and Mamey Sapotes, to pick only some from the dozens of possibilities. Some, like the Annonaceous fruit Uvaria rufa or Passiflora lindeniana, are truly very rare plants in cultivation anywhere, let alone in New Zealand.)
Instead we look at: bananas, jaboticabas, casimiroas and American pawpaws, plus a few words on jujubes.
These are not being presented as ever likely to be fully commercial under our conditions, but they have real merits that make them worthy of more consideration than they have usually received in New Zealand. The first four we have had considerable experience with at South Kaipara Head, and thus we can talk with confidence about them. The fifth is only in the early experimental stages as yet.
Bananas (Musa cultivars): the most underrated fruit for home gardens in warm temperate New Zealand. Most people do not realize the eating quality obtainable from good cultivars. We have over 30 Musa cvs. Hamoa, a cv. of unknown origin, whose name does not correspond to anything found in the books, but which seems to be at least very close to Apple (a Silk or Sugar type called Apple in Hawaü) may be the best eating banana for NZ. Musa types with balbisiana in their makeup, as well as acuminata, do best in our conditions, which are not even marginal for real banana cultivation. Other cvs. have merit too, but they all need good treatment to do well.
Jaboticaba (Myciaria cauliflora. A Brazilian subtropical, locally marketed in its home areas. Will crop happily and heavily in NZ. Water-demanding. They tolerate frost to about -3C on hardened growth. There appear to be only seedlings in NZ. These are very slow growing, and take about 12-14 years to fruit. They are cauliflorous-i.e. crop directly on the trunk and main branches. Jaboticabas yield up to 4 crops per growing season. We are currently in our third flowering this summer. (We also have M. jaboticaba [larger leaves and fruit]; M. glomerata [yellow fruit]; and M. floribunda [the rumberry from the Caribbean).
Casimiroa edulis. The white sapote. From highland Mexico and Guatemala, most cultivars are unfazed by 3 to 4 degrees of frost. Still basically a wild plant with a wide range of tree sizes and flavor intensities, really they are just selected seedlings that various enthusiasts have picked out. A tantalizing fruit because of its heavy cropping, and wide texture and taste acceptability, but always held back by the difficulties posed by its thin skin and by the uncertainties of its colour changes, if any, as the fruit mature. Good cultivars include Millie and Wikiwoo for stronger flavors and moderate tree size. However, taste preferences vary widely, and few people anywhere have been in the position of eating lots of similarly ripe fruit from a big variety of cultivars. (We have over 20 cultivars, and C. pringlei from Texas is also in the collection.)
Asimina triloba. The largest native edible fruit from the USA. This is the true pawpaw (try to ignore the Australians applying the word to papayas, which are totally different plants.)
Crops very sparsely for us, but with excellent aroma and eating quality. Selected trees favored by North American Indians, and further selection from the wild has gone on in this century by enthusiasts. The first university sponsored breeding effort is under way currently in the eastern USA. Hardy to about -30C. (We have something approaching 50 seedlings from top American selections being trialled. (We also have three of the other 8 Asimina spp.- A. longifolia, A. obovata and A. parviflora from Georgia and Florida.)
Zizyphus jujuba: the Chinese jujube. Widely available in NZ in candied form as 'Chinese red dates' in the dried food sections of good supermarkets, it is well regarded as a fresh and processed fruit in Asia. In the fresh form it would have little appeal to Europeans probably. Certainly hardy under a wide range of NZ conditions. Somewhat sweet/sour when ripe, a small fruit with a central stone, the flesh a bit like a denser Granny Smith apple. We have commenced trialling 10 cultivars. (We also have seedlings of the more subtropical Indian jujube Z. mauritiana and Z. murronata.)
Many interesting plants can be seen in the amazing covered tropical/subtropical structure as well as in the grounds of the 100 year old house.
Open for plant sales (including small
numbers of unusual fruit trees, but mainly temperate and
subtropical ornamentals).
Garden visits for a small charge (bus access). Light meals may be
ordered in advance.
Catalogue of extensive range of rare and unusual garden
ornamentals (Grandma's Seeds).
John Prince and Rosemary Steele
"Nestlebrae Exotics "
219 South Head Road, Parkhurst,
RD1 Helensville 1250, New Zealand.
Email: <Nestlebrae.Exotics@xtra.co.nz>
Back To Recent National Conference - Auckland 1999
http://www.nzero.co.nz/treecrop/feat99/JPrincenotes.htm
Updated:1999-05-13