JABOTICABA -Myrciaria cauliflora a Brazilian shrub that is cultivated for its tasty purplish/black tropical fruit. The trees are short growing around 10- 25 feet tall. It is a very slow growing tree which prefers moist, lightly acidic soils for best growth.. sounds like a winner for Fieldhouse Farm.
We have planted a young tree just in front of a pineapple patch and covered the base with Te leaves. As with all our plants, there is also a layer of organic manure enhanced with BAM layered in to the gravel.
The fruit which is like a grape, but with thicker skin, can be eaten raw or be used to make jellies and drinks (plain juice or wine). Some compare jaboticabas to muscadine grapes. The aborigines made wine of the jaboticabas. The skin contains a lot of Tannins so it is advisable not to eat too many with the skins and also to make the juice and wine without the skins.
When continuously irrigated it flowers frequently, and fresh fruit can be available year round in tropical regions (thank you.). While researching more about this plant, I discovered that it has been reported from Brazil that solitary jaboticaba trees bear poorly compared with those planted in groups, which indicates that cross-pollination enhances productivity... thinking we should plant another tree nearby.
The fruit is formed only on the inner branches and trunk. When it first flowers it looks a bit like a giant cauliflower.
Medicinal Uses
The astringent decoction of the sun-dried skins is prescribed in Brazil as a treatment for hemoptysis, asthma, diarrhea and dysentery; also as a gargle for chronic inflammation of the tonsils.
Nutritional Highlights
Jaboticaba fruit contains a decent amount of Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Calcium, phosphorus, lysine and tryptophan (more good mood fruits growing at Fieldhouse Farm)
Another Jaboticaba was planted over the weekend next to the first one. It appears as though they may be two different varieties so I will need to research if this will be an issue with the cross polination
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