About Us
Deep Roots, Bright Flavors, and a Community That Grows.
The Rare Fruit Council International, Miami, was founded in 1955 with a simple idea: bring people together who share a curiosity for tropical fruits and a love for growing. Over the decades, that seed of an idea has flourished into a thriving tropical fruit community that stretches across South Florida and beyond.
As an educational non-profit organization, our mission is to encourage the cultivation, study, and enjoyment of tropical and rare fruits. South Florida’s unique climate makes it one of the only places in the continental United States where so many of these fruits can be successfully grown, and our members — from seasoned growers to beginners with a single backyard tree — help preserve that tradition.
Education has always been at the heart of what we do. We teach members and the public how to propagate, plant, and care for fruit trees, and we share practical knowledge passed down from generations of growers. Much of our success comes from the generosity of our worldwide members who contribute seeds, scions, and plant materials, helping us introduce and protect rare fruit varieties from around the world.
Our monthly meetings offer a friendly, hands-on way to learn and connect. Each gathering features a guest speaker, a plant and seed exchange, and our always-popular tasting table, where members share home-grown fruit, recipes, and plenty of good stories. It’s a welcoming space to learn, explore new flavors, and meet others who enjoy the same passion.
Whether you’re here to grow your first tropical fruit tree or to share decades of experience, there’s a place for you in our community. We hope you’ll join us and take part in the ongoing story of the Rare Fruit Council — a group rooted in curiosity, connected by tradition, and united by a love of tropical fruit.
Lychee
Lychees are sweet, floral, and incredibly refreshing tropical fruits with juicy, translucent flesh and a vibrant red, bumpy rind that signals peak ripeness.
Rosigold Mango
The Rosigold mango is an early-season favorite, producing sweet, aromatic fruit with smooth, fiberless flesh — often ripening before any other mango in South Florida.
Guava
Guava offers a fragrant, floral sweetness with softly grainy flesh and an intoxicating aroma that fills the room as soon as it’s cut open.
Board Members
Steve McNally
Matthew Snow, MD
Laura Buksnaitis
Carla Hatten MSN, RN, CGRN
Maurice Kong
Voting Committee Members
Dr. Steve Vernon
Elizabeth Harvey
Steve McNally
Laura Buksnaitis
Non-Voting Committee Members
Rafael Santangelo
Carla Hatten MSN, RN, CGRN
Dulce Arguelles
Duel Glass
Andrew Willick
John Anderson
Laura Buksnaitis
