There was a mountain apple tree in the backyard of the house I grew up in, so this one’s personal.
The Basics
Mountain apple, ʻohiʻa ʻai in Hawaiian, Syzygium malaccense, is a tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, the same family as our Surinam cherry.
Origin and Habitat
Native to Southeast Asia and the Malay Peninsula, brought to Hawaii by early Polynesian voyagers and now naturalized throughout the islands.
What It Looks Like
When it flowers, the ground goes magenta pink beneath it from the fallen blossoms. We’ve also got a white variety from Adam, with paler flowers and white fruit instead of the usual red. Ours is over 15 feet tall now but hasn’t started producing yet.
Uses and Flavor
Picked perfectly ripe, the fruit is slightly crispy and juicy with a rose-like flavor.
Growing It Here
There was a mountain apple tree in the backyard of the house I grew up in, so this one’s personal, I remember picking fruit off it as a kid, and having one here again closes a nice loop.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Nothing to report so far.
Kenta’s Take
This is one of the few trees here that isn’t really about the food forest project at all, it’s about bringing back a childhood memory and getting to watch it happen again, even if I’m still waiting on that first bite.