Five trees planted about four years back, and they’ve filled in bushy enough to work as a hedge, one that now needs a serious haircut.
The Basics
Grumichama, Eugenia brasiliensis, is a fruit tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae.
Origin and Habitat
Native to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, where it grows as a mid-sized understory tree.
What It Looks Like
A dense, bushy tree, which is exactly why ours ended up functioning as a hedge rather than a single specimen tree.
Uses and Flavor
The fruit is kind of like a cherry, but less tart and more watery. It’s related to guayabilla, which produces bigger fruit in the same family.
Growing It Here
We planted five of these about four years ago, and their bushy growth habit means they’ve naturally grown into a hedge line rather than needing to be trained that way. They’re producing prolifically at this point, so much so that they really need to be pruned back heavily, and there are hundreds of keiki sprouting up below the trees at any given time. The birds clearly agree with me that these are good, they go after the fruit constantly.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
No specific issues to report so far, other than fending off birds for a share of the harvest.
Kenta’s Take
Sometimes the best use for a fruit tree isn’t the fruit at all, it’s the free hedge you get along the way while you wait for it to produce. Now that it’s producing prolifically too, on top of being a great hedge and border planting, this one’s earning its keep twice over.