Availability: | In stock (5) |
Available for curbside pickup only.
Tree Description: Surinam Cherry is an excellent shrub for screens or hedges, with smooth, shiny, aromatic leaves which are bright red when young. This lends a reddish cast to a clipped hedge during the growing season. The small thin leaves allow the plant to be sheared easily, and it is often used as a hedge. The plant remains dense all the way to the ground if the top of the hedge is clipped so it stays slightly narrower than the bottom. The small, fragrant, white flowers are followed by one-inch diameter, tasty, ribbed, red berries which are unusually high in vitamin C.
Scientific Name: Eugenia uniflora
Common Names: (English) Surinam cherry, Brazilian cherry, Cayenne cherry, pitanga, Florida cherry; (Brazil) cerisier de Cayenne, cerisa carre, ginga, pitanga, pitangueira
Family: Myrtaceae
Relatives: bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus
Origin: South America
Distribution/History: It was introduced as an ornamental and edible fruit before 1931 in Florida. By 1961 it was widely planted in central and south Florida, especially for hedges. A decade later was seen escaping cultivation and invading hammocks in south-central and south Florida. In 1982 it became a target of eradication in southern Florida. It is now reported in 20 wildlife areas as well, and threatening rare scrub habitat. Thus, by eating the fruit and destroying the seeds you are helping the environment.
Importance: Children enjoy the ripe fruits out-of-hand. In Brazil the leaf infusion is taken as a stomachic, febrifuge and astringent. In Surinam, the leaf decoction is drunk as a cold remedy and, in combination with lemongrass, as a febrifuge. Plant extracts also show significant anti-inflammatory properties, and are used extensively as a folk remedy in South America against stomach diseases. Various uses in traditional medicine have been reported.