I had a friend, she passed, but she had a edible pear tree in her yard. I wanted to have some one graf it to one or to small limbs on my eating pear. However the boys sold the place. You may want to ask around. Re Mangos, suggest you talk to the university in your area you may possibly put it in a extra large pot when you can put it in a shed for the winter. God Bless

Ironic that so many of us temperate gardeners would love to be able to grow the wealth of tropicals from Brazil. Even a garden in the tropics doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the possibilities. I wouldn't waste my time, personally, and would follow the example of Roberto Burle Marx, and celebrate the diversity of your native flora. I've spent time in Sao Paulo and Rio, and lived in Salvador, Bahia; so I've seen how roses, camellias, azaleas, etc seem to be a sentimental favorite amongst so many Brazilians. In my opinion, they always look out of place, and never as good as some of the local natives or tropicals from elsewhere around the world. I suspect the urge to grow what isn't really climate appropriate has more to do with seeming to be a master gardener and controlling nature, or simply horticultural one-upmanship, to show that you can do it when others can't. Or is it just a sort of "saudade" for what you grew up with? Where the temperate stuff looks best,(or at least grows the best), is at higher elevations where it actually cools off at night sufficient to get temperate plants to grow well. I've seen apple plantations, agapanthus, hydrangeas, even some of our California natives such as Monterey Pines, Monterey Cypress, etc looking beautiful in the high mountains of Sri Lanka and the islands of Java and Bali, or the Hill Stations of Malaysia.

I ended up killing the Bougainvillea (California Gold) by pruning it too late and pruning it too harsh. I have learned my lesion since then and got another California Gold, and let it go free (no pruning near the frost season). I left the Night Blooming Jasmine too long and frosty got to her before I did and she became a history. I was sad because I never knew how beautiful she smelled. Anyway, I ended up getting a Arabian Tea Jasmine Plant a.k.a Maid of Orleans and oh my!! The smell will take your breath away! I will have to try everything to keep it alive!!! So no pruning before 2013 (week after the last frost day) Silver dollar Eucalyptus or gunnii: I have pruned those severely but they grew even vigor, so I plan to try leaving them outside (Georgia, what do you think? Some people kept them outside in Georgia, so worth the risk?) Eucalyptus Citriodora was pruned severely as well but I did leave a leafy branch for it to rely on. It has grown nearly 4 feet tall (Still in a pot). The places toward the base where I clipped, sort of transformed to round ball shape wood (looks kinda cool) -2 Olive (European) - Pruned all the new growth and this year it grew very well. I kept them in the pot (even though my initial plan was to let them field grow for thicker shape) . Both are doing very well. -1 Arbequina Olive - I pruned quite a bit and this year it grown quite a bit. I may just leave it alone this year since Olive usually grows on last years growth, so I might just see some olive if I leave it alone. -Feijoa .. since the variety I had was from eBay and no idea what type Feijoa they were, I decided to buy a NZ Graft from a reputable nursery and hopping my existing two can be pollinator for the new one. They all are field growing and I am debating weather to bring them in or leave them out. I have to think about potting while its still hot out there if I do that. Anybody growing Feijoa in 7b outside? I have gotten into more Tropical stuff (I've been just germinating seeds left and right (Mango, Jackfruit, guava and so on). I know they may not fruit or anything, but just trying it out.

Hey Raymondo. I live in southern Tassie and have grown oca before. They give us amazing yields, and I have not had trouble with weedyness any more than potatoes... nowhere like Jerusalem artichokes... Keep in mind that many oca cultivars are daylength dependent and will not produce well close to the equator. That said, the area they come from (Ecuador, Peru) sits spot on the equator, so cultivars that are daylength neutral might be around in Australia. I hope they work well for you as they do for me. I am now expanding and will probably grow several different cultivars in the future. I can't get enough of them and have substituted part of my potato patch for oca, which I eat raw, roasted, baked, barbecued, or any way you like. A tremendously versatile vegetable. Cheers! Manuel.