Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Byrsonima crassifolia

Edible : Fruit

A medium sized evergreen tree. It grows 2-10 m tall. The bark is cracked. The leaves are simple and opposite. They are 7-15 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. They are rich green and shiny but paler underneath. The veins and leaf stalks are a rusty red colour. The flowers are rich yellow and have a crumpled appearance. The flowers are held in erect, hairy racemes. These are 6-15 cm long. The fruit are small and sweet and green when young but orange-yellow when ripe. They are 1-5 cm across. They have an aroma. They have a thin skin and white, juicy pulp.

A tropical plant. It suits hot tropical lowlands. It is native to C. and S. America. In the Amazon it grows to 2,000 m altitude. It can tolerate some drought and has wind resistance. It suits subtropical climates but is not very hardy. It will grow on poor soils. It can tolerate salty soils. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-12