In here (semi-arid, 24°N) we grow longan and lychee, which both need chilling hours, and have to stress them in order to make them bloom poorly.

But it´s worthless try to bloom a cherimoya in here, it´s just too hot from 10am - 5 pm year round (28°C-44°C); I guess it could be easier for you get a durian, breadfruit, mangosteen, etc to fruit in California than a cherimoya or a pawpaw in here.

It's always easier to provide heat than cold. This is particularly true when the cold temperature required is lower than human tolerances (merely cooler than ambient simply requires an air conditioned building and careful attention to water/humidity).

That is not to say that people don't attempt to grow things that just aren't adapted to local conditions, it's a peculiar affliction of gardeners. I have read about people in India and Malaysia attempting to grow things like Fuchsia, sweet peas and tomatoes. It's not uncommon to find Californians trying to grow apples, peaches or even cherries and some have gone to extraordinary lengths (here, I recall a regular on the California Gardening forum, who actually contructs a "cool house" around some of his higher chill trees).

Ryan

I grow Apples (5 varieties) Peaches and Nectarines (6-8 varieties), Pears (3 varieties) Plums (5), Blueberries, Blackberries and Figs. All require a dormant time and a certain number of chill hours.

Of course, I picked the lowest chill-hour types, since I live in S. Florida. I have had excellent crops from these plants, which are usually thought of as "Northern" fruit treees/shrubs. The biggest problem I've had is theft by squirrels.

Can't find any *true* low-chill Cherries, so I grow Barbados Cherry and Cherry of the Rio Grande, both of which I enjoy greatly.

I thought about renting commercial cooler space so I could expand my collection to include trees that need more chill hours, but the cost was too high.

I love the shocked looks on visitor's faces when they see Apple trees with fruit on my patio in Florida. Funny!

Lisa

The simplest example I can think of and the one I've heard the most when it comes to getting temperate plants to flower in areas with mild winters, was in the case of trying to grow lilacs in most of the warmer parts of California or most likely Florida as well. I've heard they always fizzle out after a few years of warm winters, and I'm sure many of our temperate herbaceous perennials may have the same problem in warm climates. How bout foxgloves or almost any other type of English cottage garden plant, though some are adaptable. Seems as gardeners , we always want what we don't have or perhaps "can't' have growing in our particular climate areas, because of our local climates.

100 km south from here next to the coast is cooler, and in there is common to see low chill apples and peaches. I am not so fond about them.

Tomatoes aren´t common in malaysia or india? I am at the desert gate and they do just fine in here.

My aunt who lives in San Diego has no problem with peaches, pears and pomegranates; plums are more difficult to grow them for her.

Tomatoes have problems with fruit set when night time temps stay above about 70 (not merely tropical but equatorial).

Ryan

One major example of raising "northern" plants out of zone is the practice of refrigerator chilling of hardy bulbs (tulips, daffodils etc.) so that they can be grown as annuals in the deep South.

That´s why tomatoes are grown from autumn-spring in hot areas, and it´s very different trying to fruit a cherimoya in India. Different types of growth habits.

Things like foxglove you can buy locally (sarasota)in Mid Feb. or so. Plant them, they flower and then die.
I can see planting narcissus (paperwhites) as they can live for many years in the right conditions (naturally). I don't see the value of planting tulips (wallymart)and the like. Flower for one day and gone!
kevin