Custard Apple (Annona reticulata)

The Custard Apple tree is native to the Caribbean and Central America.

The Custard Apple tree is a medium-sized, semi-evergreen tree that reaches about 10m tall. It has an spreading and irregularly-shaped trunk. The alternative leaves are oblong and narrow with conspicuous veins. They have a foul smell. 

The flowers are fragrant and yellow-green in colour, growing in drooping clusters of three or four. They have 3 small inner petals and 3 fleshy and narrow outer petals that are light green externally and pale-yellow with a dark-red or purple spot on the inside of the base. 

The compound fruit may be spherical or or irregularly shaped. The skin is thin but tough and can be yellow or brownish when ripe, with a pink or reddish blush. The juicy flesh is surrounded by a creamy-white layer of custard-like flesh. The juicy segments within each contain a single, hard, dark brown or black seed. The seed is oblong, smooth and glossy at about 1cm long. The ripe fruit tastes sweet and pleasant.

Soursop (Annona muricata)

The Soursop is native to the West Indies and Southern America. 

At about 4m, the Soursop tree is a small and upright evergreen tree. It is low branching and bushy,   with hairy young branchlets. The oblong leaves are glossy and dark green on the upper side but paler and slightly hair on the under side. The flower stalks are stout and woody, appearing opposite the leaves near the petiole with about one or two yellowish conical-shaped flowers. The 3 inner petals are pale yellow in colour while the 3 outer petals are yellow green. They also emerge anywhere on the trunk, branches or twigs. 

The Soursop fruit is slightly lopsided and sometimes irregularly-shaped. It can be up to 30cm long. The fruit is a compound fruit with a rough-looking yet tender skin that has stubby soft spines. The skin is dark green when unripe but turns light yellowish-green when ripe. The white flesh is juicy and aromatic with a slight acidic taste. The fruit may contain a few dozen up to a few hundred seeds depending on the size. The black seeds are oval in shape, smooth, and hard, about 1 to 2cm long each.

Pond Apple (Annona glabra)

The Pond Apple is native to Florida, the Caribbean, Central and South America and West Africa.

The Pond Apple tree often grows in clumps and has an irregularly-shaped crown. It has thin, grey trunks and grows to a height of about 12m. This tree can adapt well in swampy areas and is tolerant to salt water. The leaves are ovate to oblong in shape and have a distinct narrow tip at the end. 

The spherical fruit is is shaped like an apple though larger at about 7 to 15cm long. It falls from the tree when it is green or ripening yellow. It can float in water. The pond apple tastes slightly sweet though it is not as popular as related fruits such as the Soursop. The pond apple can be made into jam and jellies.

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)

The Cashew tree is naive to northern Brazil. 

The Cashew tree is an evergreen tree that grows to about 10 to 12m tall. It has an irregularly-shaped trunk and spreading crown. It has prominent tap roots and a well-developed and extensive network of lateral roots and sinker roots when grown from seed. The large leaves are simple and alternate, up to 20cm long and 15cm wide. They are leathery in texture and pale green or reddish when young, turning dark green upon maturing.

The flowers produced by the Cashew tree are numerous and in panicles. They are small and pale green or reddish in colour with 5 sepals and 5 petals no more than 2cm. 

The fruit of the Cashew tree is considered an accessory fruit or false fruit. The pear-shaped structure that appears to be the fruit is actually developed from the pedicel and the receptacle of the Cashew flower. About 10 to 20cm long, this structure is also known as the Cashew Apple, and is yellow or red in colour. The Cashew Apple is edible and has a sweet juicy pulp and sweet smell. 

The true fruit of the Cashew tree is the kidney-shaped drupe that grows at the end of the Cashew Apple. The drupe develops first, followed by the expanded pedicel which becomes the Cashew apple. Inside the drupe is where the "Cashew nut" is found. Though commonly referred to as a "nut", it is actually the seed of the fruit. The seed is surrounded by a double shell which contains toxins similar to those found in poison ivy. Roasting the cashews properly will be able to destroy the toxin.

Chiku (Achras sapota, Manilkara zapota)

Commonly known for its Malay name the Chiku, this fruit is native to southern Mexco, Central America and the Caribbean.

Chiku comes from a medium-sized evergreen tree that grows upright with a dense, pyramidal crown. The bark of the tree is produces a white, gummy latex substance called chicle. The alternate leaves are thick and glossy green and about 7 to 15cm long. The white flowers that are borne at the leaf bases are are small and inconspicuous with a bell-like shape.

The chiku fruit is a large berry, about 4 to 8cm in diameter. The skin is a dull brown to grey colour that is slightly rough, while the colour of the flesh ranges from pale yellow to earthy brown. The flesh of the chiku has a grainy texture. Each fruit contains about 2 to 5 hard black seeds that have a hook on one end. The fruits have high latex content and does not ripen until after picking. Due to the high amounts of saponin in the unripe fruit, it is hard and has astringent properties that dry out the mouth when consumed. Chikus are generally moist and sweet with a malty flavour and eaten fresh.

Caryota mitis

Commonly known as Fishtail Palm, this palm is native to India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.

Growing up to about 8m, the Fishtail Palm grows in dense clusters that can reach across 4m at its widest. The trunks of the palm are light green to graying in colour with widely spaced leaf nodes. 

The leaves of the Fishtail Palm are bipinnate and triangular with a fishtail shape, by which its common name is derived from. 

The Fishtail Palm has a unique flowering habit whereby the inflorescence develops from the top of the trunk first followed by subsequent bunches moving downwards. The palm will die once it reaches is final seeding. The flowers are a pale cream colour, while the small 1 to 2cm fruits are reddish-orange in colour. The fruit contains crystal oxalate which my irritate the eyes and skin. 

Ficus fistulosa

Commonly known as Yellow Stem Fig, it is native to countries from northeastern India, southern China to New Guinea, Borneo, Sarawak, Sabah, and East-Kalimantan.

This evergreen tree is medium-sized, growing to about 10 to 15m to form a loosely arranged crown. It has a straight trunk with smooth bark. The colour of the bark ranges from light grey to yellowish. The young twigs are hollow and easily broken to produce a white sap. 

The leaves of the Yellow Stem Fig are alternate and simple and have a leaf tip. The young leaves are pale pink in colour.

The figs are pear-shaped, about 2.5cm wide, and borne on long stalks in clusters. These originate from woody knows on the tree trunk or branches. When ripen, the fruits change colour from yellow to green-yellow. The flowers of the Yellow Stem Fig are found within the figs and monoecious, meaning that male and female flowers are found in figs of different trees.