Environmental Key:

Each plant in our catalog has its own unique qualities and needs. Below is the key with descriptions of each climatic region.

H

--Tropical Highlands: This is a high-altitude area with steep land that is subject to severe erosion. Found in all climatic zones. Examples: Highlands of Peru, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Nepal.

LL

--Hot Humid Lowlands: This area receives 80-120 inches (2,032-3,048 mm) annually. Usually a short dry season (1-3 months) occurs with a long rainy season with moderate to heavy rainfall. These areas can be found in low lying coastal areas. Examples: Vietnam, Philippines, and Thailand.

MS

--Tropical Monsoon: Areas that receive 30-80 inches (762-2,032 mm) of annual rainfall are considered monsoon climates.There is alternating wet and dry seasons. The dry season can last up to 7 months and during the wet season rainfall is light to heavy.Examples: Haiti, Caribbean Islands, Nigeria, Bangladesh.

RF

-- Tropical Rainforest: This area receives 80-200 inches (2,032-5,080 mm) of rain annually. The rainfall is heavy and the temperature is high throughout most of the year. The dry season, if any, is of short duration. Examples: Amazon Basin; Congo Basin of equatorial Africa; East Indies from Sumatra to New Guinea.

SA

--Semi-Arid Tropics: 10-30 inches (254-762 mm) of rain per year. This area experiences severe dry seasons, perhaps as long as 9 months. Rainfall is usually erratic and unreliable. Examples: Areas around the Sahara desert in Africa; the western coast of South America; central India.

T

--Temperate areas:

*Note: For each species there is a recommended climate. However, these crops are not strictly limited to that area.Many areas have unique microclimates that might be a good fit for some of these crops.These suggestions are only to guide you in deciding which crops to select.