Photo of banana tree from Dominica, West Indies, taken by Peace Corps Volunteer Emily Stewart.

Food Crops and Oil Producers

Australian Tea

• Native to New Zealand, Malaysia, and Australia
• Should not be planted where temperatures fall below 20ºF (-7ºC)
  
• Need lots of light and moist soil
• Oil may be used to treat ailments
  

Banana trees

• Thrive in tropical locations
• Require deep soil of any type
• Strong winds and oversaturated soils can damage plant

For more information on banana trees, click here.

Fan and Date Palms

• Thrive in tropical locations
• Should not be planted where temperatures fall below 20ºF (-7ºC)
• Can handle large volumes of water at once, but not standing water
• Drought tolerant
• Prefer fertile and acidic soil, but can also grow elsewhere
  

Olive trees

• Native along northern Mediterranean shore and in Asia Minor
• Suited to hot, dry, and windy conditions
• Can be used to produce olives as well as olive oil with little effort
  

Rosemary

• Prefers warm climates and well-drained soil
• Can tolerate temperatures as low as -15ºF (-26ºC)
  
• Herb used for seasoning

Stone Pine

• Native along northern Mediterranean shore and in Asia Minor
  
• Produces fruit acceptable to eat
• Grows best in full sun
• High drought tolerance
  

Ornamentals

Agapanthus

• Native to Southern Africa and Australia
  
• Require lots of moisture during growing season
• Ornamental flower
• Prefer slightly acidic and sandy soil
• Well suited to being grown in pots
  

Bermuda grass

• Found in over 100 countries, in tropical and subtropical areas
• Prefers warm climate and full sun
• Widely used for forage and turf
  

Bougainvillea

• Native to South America but is grown in warm and tropical climates worldwide
  
• Should not be planted where temperatures fall below 20ºF (-7ºC)
• Salt- and drought-tolerant flower
  
• Prefers full sunlight
  

Cottonwood

• Native to North America
  
• Prefers warm climate and any range of sunlight
• Prefers neutral soil pH
• Salt- and drought-tolerant

Honeysuckle

• Found in eastern Asia and Japan
• Tolerates drought and soggy soils
• Can grow in light ranging from full shade to full sun
  

For more information on honeysuckle, click here.

Juniper

• Several different species, each growing well in different regions
  
• Prefer full sun and good drainage
• Tall plants, good for screens or windbreaks
• Can withstand heat and dry conditions
  

• Chinese juniper native to China, Mongolia, and Japan, click here.
• Red Cedar native to North America, click here.
• Parson's juniper native to central Asia, Siberia, and Japan, click here.
• Creeping juniper native to North America, click here.
• Singleseed juniper native to the Himalayan Mountains and western China, click here.
  

• Native to northern Africa, the eastern Mediterranean basin, and southeast Asia
• Should not be planted where temperatures fall below 20ºF (-7ºC)
• Prefers sandy soils near the coast
• Ornamental shrub, grows 3 to 30 feet tall

Redwoods

• Native to the western United States
  
• Grows best in moist, slightly acidic soil
• Prefers full sun
• Can grow 2-3 feet anually
  

Star Jasmine

• Native to China, Papau New Guinea, and India but popular in Europe and the United States
  
• Beautiful flower, but handling plant can cause irritation
• All parts of plant are poisonous
• Prefers full sun or partial shade
  

Mulchable Species

Reed beds

To read about an example of reed bed use in Costa Rica, click here.