Subject: tropical plants

From: "Rene and Lorraine van Raders" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 21:03:41 -0800

Some more plants we grow or have grown

Araceae

Acorus calamus (sweet flag)... still alive after many years but haven't
grown enough to harvest.
Various taros... but we don't have enough water to grow them well.  Nick
Romanowski in Victoria has attempted to gather info about all the taro
varieties and species in Australia.
Monstera deliciosa (fruit salad plant)...common indoor plant, but great
shade loving ground plant (or climber).. will tolerate full sun, but
doesn't look good then.  Delicious fruit takes a full year to mature.  To
get even ripening apparently wrap in paper and put in fridge for 24 hr,
then leave at room temperature.

Araucariaceae

Aracaria bidwillii (bunya nut)... bush food, grows well here even though it
normally grows in drier areas, huge timber trees, male and female, female
bears huge cones with edible pine nuts, produces many cones, but only every
few years.  Eat raw, cooked or makes a great dehydrated product. 
Germinated seed produces a tuber underground which is also very good to
eat.

Arecaceae

Have a large unidentified palm... use the fronds often for shade (probably
ok for sugar from flower)
Calamus sp   .. the local rainforest ratans (4 species) have edible fruits
and very useful cane.  We only have a small seedling of the smallest cane
at present.
Cocos nucifera (coconut)... I'm trying some that are struggling.. really
need coastal warmth.  I'm hoping if I keep trying I'll find one that
bears... I've heard of coconuts occasionally growing at high altitudes
(we're 800m and 17 degrees latitude).
Guilielma gasipaes (peach palm)... have killed two (needed more warmth or
moisture?)
Lipospadix monstachya (walking stick palm)...slow growing bush food,
understorey, edible fruit and heart.
Archontophoenix alexandrae 'Walsh River' (Walsh River Alexandra Palm)..
rare species, wildlife, ornamental
Areacastrum romanzoffianum (Queen Palm)... edible fruits
Phoenix dactylifera (date palm)... killed one, then found out you needed
two anyway...like dry places.

There are lots of palms we haven't tried yet that could suit!

Asparagaceae

Asparagus officinalis (asparagus)... grows but so far the yield has been
minimal.. still trying.

Cheers Rene