Atom might be the rarest thing we grow here, rare enough that Joe told me I could be the first person to ever put one in the ground in Hawai’i.
The Basics
Atom, also called balsam tree, Dacryodes macrophylla, is native to the tropical rainforests of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon.
Origin and Habitat
Central African rainforest, and still so unfamiliar outside that range that I couldn’t find a single photo of the mature tree online when I first went looking, just a bunch of dead ends.
What It Looks Like
A big tree that forms buttresses at the base and can reach 80 to 120 feet given enough time, producing dark red, juicy, plum-like fruit.
Uses and Flavor
Considered a luxury item in the countries where it’s from, enjoyed in season from June to August. There’s barely any info on the flavor, but I’ve read somewhere it might taste like raspberry jam. I’ll believe it when I finally get one to fruit.
Growing It Here
Atom needs a male and a female tree to produce fruit, so I planted five total across the year, three earlier on and two more later to hedge our odds, all thanks to Joe sharing these ultra rare African trees with us. Of those, we’re currently down to four still in the ground, and three of those four are still going, though they’re staying under six feet tall and two of them are sitting in fairly deep shade. I’m hoping all three make it, but there’s no guarantee yet. It joins a small club of similarly rare gambles here, alongside almirajo, aguaí guaçú, and two ultra-rare Annonas, envira caju and junglesop. According to Joe, nobody else has successfully grown this species in the state yet.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Nothing observed so far, these are all still young.
Kenta’s Take
Being potentially the first person to grow and harvest this in Hawai’i is exactly the kind of thing that keeps this whole project interesting five, ten years down the line. Losing one of the five stings a little, but three still fighting through deep shade after this long is a decent showing for a tree this obscure.