Jaboticaba (photo courtesy Rare Fruit Club WA - rarefruitclub.org.au)
Jaboticaba
Plinia cauliflora
Myrtaceae family
Seedling
Also known as the Brazilian Grape Tree, the Jaboticaba is a slow-growing evergreen tree native to Brazil that can reach a height of 15m if not pruned.
Jaboticaba trees usually produce fruit multiple times throughout the year (typically in the warmer months). The flowers and fruit form directly on the trunk and are often concealed from view - be sure to look closely, or you may miss it! Decent rainfall after an extended dry period will often trigger a flush of flowers and fruit.
This particular variety is the 'Phitrantha Large Leaf'. Jaboticaba trees can take between 3 to 15 years to start producing fruit. Ours hasn't fruited yet (as of 2025), so we don't yet know what the fruit is like. The location within LCG was chosen because of the high water table in this area - Jaboticabas love water.
In general, Jaboticaba fruit has a thick, purple skin that encases a sweet gelatinous flesh. You can eat the fruit with the skin on, but the skin is chewy and tart so you might prefer it without. It is often used to make jams, jelly, tarts, juice, or strong wines. High in fibre, vitamin C and zinc, rich in antioxidants. Research has also shown the peel is a source of bioactive compounds with prebiotic effects.
Due to its short shelf-life, fresh Jaboticaba fruit is rare in markets outside areas of cultivation.
Tree Provenance
This tree, along with several other Plinia, Eugenia and Garcinia species in this section of Lennox Community Gardens, was donated by a rare fruit tree collector named Gabriel Anthony. Gabe grew many trees in pots, west of Byron Bay, and we were very lucky to receive several rare and special trees that were already on their way to maturity.
Tree Maintenance
Plinia cauliflora
Myrtaceae family
Seedling
Also known as the Brazilian Grape Tree, the Jaboticaba is a slow-growing evergreen tree native to Brazil that can reach a height of 15m if not pruned.
Jaboticaba trees usually produce fruit multiple times throughout the year (typically in the warmer months). The flowers and fruit form directly on the trunk and are often concealed from view - be sure to look closely, or you may miss it! Decent rainfall after an extended dry period will often trigger a flush of flowers and fruit.
This particular variety is the 'Phitrantha Large Leaf'. Jaboticaba trees can take between 3 to 15 years to start producing fruit. Ours hasn't fruited yet (as of 2025), so we don't yet know what the fruit is like. The location within LCG was chosen because of the high water table in this area - Jaboticabas love water.
In general, Jaboticaba fruit has a thick, purple skin that encases a sweet gelatinous flesh. You can eat the fruit with the skin on, but the skin is chewy and tart so you might prefer it without. It is often used to make jams, jelly, tarts, juice, or strong wines. High in fibre, vitamin C and zinc, rich in antioxidants. Research has also shown the peel is a source of bioactive compounds with prebiotic effects.
Due to its short shelf-life, fresh Jaboticaba fruit is rare in markets outside areas of cultivation.
Tree Provenance
This tree, along with several other Plinia, Eugenia and Garcinia species in this section of Lennox Community Gardens, was donated by a rare fruit tree collector named Gabriel Anthony. Gabe grew many trees in pots, west of Byron Bay, and we were very lucky to receive several rare and special trees that were already on their way to maturity.
Tree Maintenance
- Prune to size as needed - keep to about 2.5m height.
- Jaboticabas are acid-loving; do not apply alkaline soil amendments such as lime.
- It is not nutrient-demanding: fertilise sparingly twice per year with an organic fertiliser such as chicken manure pellets or 'blood & bone'. Jaboticabas are sensitive to fertiliser: too much will result in leaf tip burn.
- Apply seaweed emulsion as a foliar spray up to four times per year.
- Once established, water deeply during dry periods. Younger trees should not be allowed to dry out. Will handle flooding conditions well.
Jaboticaba at LCG March 2025 (photo credit: Jacqui Lachmann)
Jaboticaba at LCG August 2022 (photo credit: Graham Bond)
