Portside

Growers first discovered and cultivated this breed in 1870. Arkansas established an economy around apple production, and during the 1920s, 15 to 20 percent of the state’s yield was its namesake black variety.

As the only place in the continental US where it almost never freezes, South Florida can support fruits usually only found in the tropics; thanks to new advances in plant breeding and growing interest from consumers, the industry here is booming.