Garandilla is commonly confused with the Passion Fruit because they are both part of the Passiflora family. It is a fast growing climbing vine which has heart shaped leaves with flowers that are pale green and large. The fruit of the vine is sweet and can be made into juice.

Paw Paw is best grown in well drained soil when exposed to full sunlight. The tree grows to approximately 6 – 7 m (20 – 25 ft) and the fruit is harvested from September to October. Paw Paw is high in calcium, iron and vitamin C.

It also has properties which aid with good eye sight, digestion, anti-aging and weight loss. It is also good for diabetics.

Fun fact: The Paw Paw is said to be the biggest native grown fruit in American as it is approximately 3 – 6 inches long.

Bajan Ackees, known in some other Caribbean islands as guineps, are fruit bearing trees that are plentiful in Barbados.  This plant can grow in a wide range of soil types but prefers soil that is well drained.  Established plants are very drought tolerant and can survive salty winds.  Ackees can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruit is juicy and sweet in most cases, with a slightly acidic flavour.  In Barbados, these fruits are usually eaten raw but they can also be cooked in pies, jams and jellies.  They also make a cooling drink.

Medicinally, the bark is used to treat dysentery and the leaves are used to minimize perspiration.  

Fun Fact: The seed of this fruit, when roasted is a substitute for cassava.

This plant is native to the Mediterranean and western Asia and is not commonly found in Barbados.  It can grow in many types of soils but prefers those that are well drained.  The edible fig is a member of the mulberry family. It can be eaten both fresh and dried and is used to produce jam or can be candied.  Dried figs can be used as a coffee substitute or blended with coffee after roasting and pulverizing. 

Medicinally, these plants have laxative properties.

Fun Fact: The wood is used as a fuelwood for light construction, industrial and domestic woodware, as well as for making tool handles.

Sapodilla is a large tree with a wide range of uses. This plant is grown best in full sun and
can grown in a wide range of environmental conditions. It prefers well-drained soils and is
drought resistant. Sapodilla bears a fruit which can be eaten raw or used in making
sherbets, custard, ice cream, pies, jams, jellies and more. When fully ripe the flesh is soft,
very sweet, slightly acidic and delicious.

Medicinally, a leaf decoction can be made to treat fever, wounds and ulcers. The fruit is
eaten as a remedy for indigestion and diarrhoea. The seeds, when ground, act as a diuretic.
They are used to expel urinary and gall bladder stones.

Fun Fact: The milky latex is used to produce chewing gum.

This tree it not one commonly grown in Barbados.  It grows best in moist, well drained soils and prefers sun exposure.  Established plants are drought tolerant.  The fruit has a sweet flavour and can be eaten raw or made into preserves.  The edible flesh is pleasantly acidic and high in carbohydrate.  The fruit is not good unless it is picked when fully ripe.  The skin needs to be removed.  An emulsion of the slightly bitter kernels is used to make imitation milk-of-almonds.

Medicinally, the ripe fruit is used to sooth inflammation in laryngitis and pneumonia.  It is also used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, angina, haemorrhage and fever.

Fun Fact:  A good quality paper can be produced from the wood pulp

Mamey apple is a large tree which is often planted for shade around houses.  It grows well in full sun or light shade and prefers well-drained soils.  The fruit is a berry which, when ripe, has an astringent taste. It can be eaten raw or cooked, being used as a dessert and can also be made into jams, sauces, pies, tarts and more.  Mamey apple makes good preserves which tastes similarly to apricot preserves.  A liqueur is distilled from the fragrant flowers. An alcoholic drink is fermented from the sap of the tree.

Medicinally, mamey is used in the treatment of scalp conditions, diarrhoea, digestive and eye problems.  The gummy latex from the bark is used as an insecticide, to extract insects from the skin, and to kill ticks and other parasites of dogs and other domestic animals.  The liqueur acts as a digestive.

Fun Fact:  Leaves are twisted into a cone and used as pots for planting tobacco seedlings.  The leaves provide protection against root-destroying insects.

Carambola is a fast-growing tree, producing a very popular fruit. When cut in cross-section, it resembles a star, giving it another name, star fruit. This plant grows best in well-drained soil and is intolerant of waterlogging.  Carambola trees are tolerant of a wide range of soil types and grow well in partial shade. They are also drought tolerant.  The fruit is crispy and juicy with a sweet yet slightly acidic flavour.  The flavour of the fruit is enhanced when the wing edges are peeled off.  It is used in various salads and desserts.  The flowers have an acidic flavour and are added to salads.  The leaves are also acidic and are used as a sorrel substitute.  

Medicinally, the fruit can be a laxative.  It is also used for skin disorders and fevers.  Chinese value it as a remedy for high blood pressure, and it is also said to reduce blood sugar, assisting diabetics.  Flowers are used to relieve coughs.  Powdered seed is used to treat asthma, colic and jaundice.

Fun Fact: In some countries, the juice of the fruit is used to remove stains, for example iron rust from linen cloth.

Dragon fruit is best grown in semi shaded areas as the stems turn brown when exposed to full sunlight. It is best to keep the soil moist by watering the plant least once a week.  They become ready for picking 25-35 days after flowering, an indication of their ripeness is the color, once it turns red its ready.

The fruit has great health benefits such as being high in fiber and antioxidants.

Fun fact: The dragon fruit got its name around 1963, from the leather-like skin and prominent scaly spikes on the fruit’s exterior.