Acai is growing and fruiting well in Hawaii. I’m sure it will not grow as fast here as in the warmer equatorial tropics, but fruits nevertheless. I don’t know about length of time seed viability of acai. There is another Euterpe species that prefers cooler climates than acai: Euterpe edulis. This was growing wild everywhere in Brazil which if I remember correctly is 27S of equator. Supposedly E. edulis has even more antioxidants than E. oleracea. It’s a very important food all through the amazon. It tastes to me like avocado mixed with black olive, creamy and a little oily. It has a bit of bitterness also, so I found it more palatable after mixing a bit of sweetener. It’s very filling and eaten as a main dish, usually with some manioc (tapioca) flour sprinkled on top or some manioc crackers…delicious. Also enjoyed eating some acai popcicles and acai ice cream. So it is nice as a dessert also. Ref: Oscar – Hawaii