bill,
why not peach trees, instead? or some blueberries (which get to 10 feet here, more if you let 'em). both are deciduous, both are beautiful bloomers, both are modestly drought tolerant... as you know, i planted a bunch of natchez myrtles, but if i'd to do it over again, i'd replace them with jujubes, peach trees, figs, anything that gives me fruit... you might also seriously consider some grape arbors in that space -- again, deciduous and edible. or what about a screen of rattlesnake beans? in the cool months, pea vines.

my tomatoes get considerably less sun than yours, but they've been pretty productive & disease free. everything likes a little shade here in fla...

any rain yet, bill? i miss my garden.

What about fruit trees that give light shade? Like a Tamarind, Peach, Plum, or Sugar Apples? My Green Sugar Apple is only about 5' west of my veggie garden. It does not interfere at all.

What about clumping, dwarf Bamboo to block the western sun? I use Bananas and Bamboo to keep the intense heat off the house, on the west side. It looks nice and is useful!

In summer though, I give up on the veggie gardens. Even shaded with row covers, it is too hot!

Lisa

you owe me a coke, lisa.

Hahahaha! Too funny!

They say great minds think alike(G).

Lisa

Thanks for the advice. It's certainly something to consider. I guess the main thing that's been holding me back is that the main place I'm thinking of putting a tree is a wild meadow/buttefly area, and I don't know how well a fruit tree will grow amongst big wild grasses (or how I would pick the fruits, care for the tree etc.) Originally I wanted to go with a native tree to "go with" the grass, but none of the natives was exactly what I was looking for, so I switched to the crape myrtle idea. And now you two have gotten me to thinking about fruit trees again. If I did go with fruits, I think would take out the meadow and just have paths and maybe a few herbs between the fruit trees (and blueberry bushes, and grape arbors, etc.) Hmmmmmm.

I am a bit intimidated by the work involved with fruit trees here. I was reading the MaCubbin Edibles book and the spraying required seems pretty complicated. And then I read posts here about having to bag fruit to keep the worms away. I would love to have fresh plums though.

Ill, it still hasn't rained a drop. Every day the forecast is rain, but rain never comes.

Thanks again. I'm still thinking. . .

Bill

I think alot of people sometimes forget how intense the sun really is here. Alot of the "full sun" plants we plant around here do better if they get a decent respite from the raging inferno that is Florida's sun. Even most of your truly tropical selections dont grow in the FULL sun of a tropical region; they grow more in the partial sun fringes of the jungles and forests. I havent found many plants here in Florida that dont benefit from a decent amount of shade other than Plumeria and maybe plumbago or a laurel oak and the different Palms.

Hi Bill! With all my experience of 1 year, I have to chime in for a peach tree too. Wonderful trees plus the bonus of the best peaches you will ever have tasted. If the DH hadn't insisted I get him one I probably wouldn't have tried them but with Lisa's [gcmastiffs] help through my first year I love my little tree. I got about 30 small peaches from it this year and in the spring, when nothing else was flowering, the butterflies visited it's blooms. I have found they aren't that hard to grow and are soooo rewarding.
If not a peach tree, have you considered a chickasaw plum? They are native and drought tolerant and I have seen thousands of them growing wild in the sand ridges. They do sucker but I believe I have seen a type that supposedly doesn't.
Good luck with whatever you choose! nova aka Susan

I vote for fruit trees. If I had more land I'd have lots more.

For little natives, how about a Fiddlewood or a Stopper?

Susan, I've heard of that type of chickasaw plum. I think it's called "Guthrie." My natives catalog says the fruits are good on it too--but I bet the peaches would taste a lot better. I'm still considering. . . By the way I rooted a Mutabilis and Madame Lombard for you. I'll be passing through your neck of the woods sometime this month (On my way to Georgia), so I can drop them off if you like. I'll e-mail you.

Amber, I have lots of twinberry and white stopper in my hedge, but no Fiddlewood. Will it grow in 9a? I'll have to do some research.

Thanks to you all for the input and information.

Bill

Bill, It will be good to see you again! I will be looking for your e mail! Susan

Hi Bill, I live in zone 9 close to the a/b border. Personally, I have had no luck with any Fl peach trees in my area but my nectarine tree did very well for many years until the hurricane of 2005 damaged it too much for it to survive. I also use Tom McCubbins edible landscape book as a guide. Whatever you plant in the West I would advise to plant a deciduous fruit tree so the limbs would be bare in winter like a mulberry tree. They are easy to grow, the fruit is delicious, and provides great shade in the summer. I have grown some veggies and strawberries all year around in one garden bed shaded on the SW side by fronds from a tall Queen palm.

Rina