Native & adapted

Jaboticaba

Plinia cauliflora

Also known as Jabuticaba · Brazilian grape tree · Myrciaria cauliflora

A slow Brazilian shrub that bears grape-like fruit directly on its trunk and branches, sometimes several times a year. A striking container plant that needs acidic soil.

EdibleFruitingEvergreenContainer friendly

Landscape layersUnderstory · Lower canopy

Mature size

6–12 ft tall and 6–10 ft wide, slowly

Climate fit

Urban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b

Plant spacing

8 ft from other trees

Frost

Hardy to about 25°F once established.

Special categories

EDIBLE

Hardiness guidance

USDA 9b–11; hardy to the mid-20s°F

Winter chill

None

Typical harvest

Fruit ripens about a month after flowering, which can happen several times a year after deep waterings.

Before you plant

These conditions determine whether it will thrive.

Soil chemistry

Needs acidic soil, roughly pH 5 to 6.5. In Phoenix that means a raised bed or large container of acidic potting mix, regular soil sulfur and, ideally, rainwater or filtered water, since tap water is alkaline and salty.

Required microclimate

Placement is part of the growing system.

Shaded courtyard or east side of the house, out of wind.

Cold hardiness

Cover in a hard freeze below 27°F

Hardiness varies plant to plant: some are damaged at 27°F while others take 24°F or lower. Cover when a hard freeze is forecast, and cover young plants on any frost night.

Leaves and wood: damaged below 27°F

Heat tolerance

Needs afternoon shade

It's a humid-climate tree, and flowers dry up in dry spells. In Phoenix give it afternoon or filtered shade and steady water.

Sources:

growables.com

Right plant, right place

Will Jaboticaba grow at your Arizona property?

Seed-grown plants can take 8 years or more to fruit; buy grafted or older plants for faster results.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b.

Light

Sun exposure

Morning sun with afternoon shade from June through September, such as the east side of a house or under a taller nurse tree. Protect from frost on winter nights.

Water

Irrigation

High and steady; never let it dry out. Low-salt water helps.

Fruit set

Pollination

Self-fertile.

Harvest

How to use it

Squeeze the sweet pulp out of the skin and eat fresh; also made into jelly and wine.

Planting & stewardship

How to help Jaboticaba thrive

1
Keep the soil evenly moist year-round.
2
Use an acidic fertilizer and soil sulfur regularly.
3
Flush pots with a deep watering every few weeks to remove salts.
4
Shade from afternoon sun in summer.

Read the horticultural reference ↗