One Surinam Cherry Eugenia Uniflora Rooted Plant Sweet Black Variety

One Surinam Cherry Eugenia Uniflora Rooted Plant Sweet Black Variety

You will receive one well-rooted Surinam Cherry seedling in a 4” container. The plant is approximately 6 to 8 inches tall.

Surinam Cherry

Also called pitanga. An evergreen shrub 10' in height. In spring and again in fall the Surinam cherry bears small, round fruits with eight prominent ribs. These are usually red, but are best enjoyed fresh almost black. Calling the taste amazing does the fruit justice. They are juicy and aromatic. Use them for making an excellent jelly also. Grows in zones 9 and 10. Withstands temperatures in the low 20's. Self fruitful. An easy care greenhouse plant and because it's tropical it stays evergreen year round.

There are 2 distinct types: the common bright-red and the rarer dark-crimson to nearly black, which tends to be sweeter and less resinous.

The most widely known of the edible-fruited Eugenia species, because of its great adaptability, the Surinam cherry, E. uniflora L. (syns. E. Michelii Lam.; Stenocalyx Michelii Berg; Plinia rubra Vell.), is also called Brazil or Brazilian cherry, Cayenne cherry, pitanga, and, unfortunately, Florida cherry. The shrub or tree, to 25 ft (7.5 m) high, has slender, spreading branches and resinous aromatic foliage. The 7- to 8-ribbed fruit, oblate, 3/4 to 1 1/2 in (2-4 cm) wide, turns from green to orange as it develops and, when mature, bright-red to deep-scarlet or dark, purplish maroon ("black") when fully ripe. The skin is thin, the flesh orange-red, melting and very juicy; acid to sweet. There may be 1 fairly large, round seed or 2 or 3 smaller seeds each with a flattened side, more or less attached to the flesh by a few slender fibers.

How to Grow Surinam Cherry Tree

This is an easy plant to grow. Plant in good soil. Allow a space 10 to 12' in diameter for each shrub. If planted in a hedge, they produce flowers. Surinam cherry is not a very demanding plant, but like most fruits does its best when cared for. See that it receives ample moisture when blossoming and fruiting. Fertilize it twice a year as it starts to set fruit. Apply 1 cup of balanced plant food each time. Prune as little as possible if you don't want to reduce the fruit crop temporarily. Shrubs start to bear when two or three years old. Let the fruits ripen on the plants before picking.

The Surinam cherry is adapted to tropical and subtropical regions. In the Philippines, it thrives from sea-level to 3,300 ft (1,000 m); in Guatemala, up to 6,000 ft (1,800 m). Young plants are damaged by temperatures below 28º F (-2.22º C), but well-established plants have suffered only superficial injury at 22º F (-5.56º C). The plant revels in full sun. It requires only moderate rainfall and, being deep-rooted, can stand a long dry season. The Surinam cherry grows in almost any type of soilâsand, sandy loam, stiff clay, soft limestoneâand can even stand water logging for a time, but it is intolerant of salt. The fruits should be picked only when they are so ripe as to fall into the hand at the lightest touch.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Happy Planting!