Yes it grows in Fl. I've never seen it this far north, but (I think) in Sarasota. IMO, you can't make a decent steak sauce without it.

john

Thats great at least now I know I am not nuts. I am in Polk Co and you dont think it would grow here? I know that it grows in the Philippines so I guess that would make sence as I think that is a tropical growing zone.

Check out this link

Here is a link that might be useful: Tamarind in Florida

I've got a baby tamarind in a pot 3' tall south of Sarasota. I doubt it would survive central FL winter year after year.

Lots of trees look like tamarind leaves, flamboyant or flame tree (delonix regia) comes to mind as well as desert cassia.

I brought mine inside for the big chill.

I checked out that site and it had a lot to say I tried to send the following email but it said they dont recieve from hotmail. So I decided to copy it just as I wrote it and post it here.

My name is Ssmittee and I just ate my first piece of tamerind candy/fruit and found it so pleasing that I sucked on the seed like I did when I was a child with olive pits lol. I live in Polk County which is half way between Tampa Bay and Orlando. We are actually almost dead center of our state. I lived most of my life in Washington state and have been in love with the tropicals and am growing and eating everything they produce. [my papaya tree produced 47 3 to 4 lb fruits and I dried froze and ate and shared every one of them.
I know the tree is huge so I guess a house plant is out, lol ..ok here is my questions: 1. Will it survive in my area? about once a year it drops to 25 2 or 3 days. This year it lasted about 2 weeks. 2. will they grow AND produce flowers and fruit in a large pot as in a 25 gallon planter. With the help of my 2-wheel dolly and my handicapped ramp, my living room sorta looked like a tropical forest. 3. Finally, Can you tell me how to prepare the seeds for propagation.
I do appreciate anyone who is willing to take a few minutes to answer these questions for a stranger. Garden webbers rock any way I know I will eventually get the answer from all yall...

hey I already got on answer Imagardener said they had theirs in a pot and brought it in during the chill. btw thanks

Hi,

I have a 3-year old Tamarind plant. Still in a pot. It seems to handle drought very well. A few times I have missed to water it - and all leaves fell off. But each time it recovers nicely. About the hard seeds, I nicked them before planting.

Tomas

Hi Smittee, I love candied tamarind seeds...I lived in the Philippines for a few years when I was a child and remember eating so many of them,lol...I still get them once in a while from a friend when she visits and brings me a few. I remember how big and beautiful the trees were. There is also a tamarind soup base that I buy occasionally from an oriental market that is quite good. I use beef, shrimp or pork.

I agree that you will need to bring them inside or provide a makeshift greenhouse with heat during our occcasional freeze if you decide to plant inground. I believe they are more sensitive than mango trees? Good luck!

{{gwi:809803}}

Tamarind tree growing in Excalibur nursery in South Florida

Silvia

I just moved here and have a 20 ft Tamarind in my front yard with plenty of seed pods. It is next to a mango. We had only one night below freezing. Officially 31 but there was a skim of ice in the bird bath. The mango was unaffected by the freze, but the Tamarind lost about 50% of the leaves in the top half of the tree. I don't know how it would fare under worse conditions. I hate the cold weather too even though I just moved down from Mass and I'm still trying to get everything straightened out.

I had one in a container in Gainesville and it died after the first hard freeze. You can grow it as a container tree but not outside, Arlene.

I have a 20+ ft tamarind tree in my front yard & it did fine this cold winter. My neighbor across the street has 3 trees & they all did fine. We got some pretty cold weather here in Melbourne Village. Mine hasn't fruited yet but It has the most beautiful blooms.

i had 7 year's a tamarind plant and three washingtonia filifera palms on my room *Netherlands*. The last two years i forget to fresh soil, very poor soil conditions, acid soil and this causes plants roots to dies, My washingtonia filifera had one big roots ball, it looks palm tree spear leaves does dry outs, but suddenly it does recover. See picture of tamarind Plant.
http://hi.baidu.com/jer0enr0land/album/item/5c22471675ac98454b90a737.html#