Jaboticaba plant

The Jaboticaba plant adds an extraordinary feature to your edible garden: glossy purple fruit that grows directly on its trunk and mature branches. Its accepted botanical name is Plinia cauliflora (Mart.) Kausel. Common names include Jaboticaba, jabuticaba, Small-Leaf Jaboticaba, Brazilian grape tree, and Brazilian grapetree.

This Brazilian evergreen combines delicious harvests with year-round ornamental appeal. For example, clusters of white flowers emerge from the bark, followed by rounded fruit that looks remarkably like grapes. Consequently, this unusual flowering and fruiting habit creates a striking display, especially when mature trees carry a generous crop.

Beneath the dark purple skin, juicy, translucent flesh offers a sweet flavour with a refreshing tart edge. Enjoy the fruit fresh, or turn your harvest into jams, jellies, juices, and desserts. You can also experiment with homemade wine.

Pick fully ripe fruit and enjoy it promptly, as it has a short shelf life. Furthermore, established trees may produce several crops each year when warmth, moisture and growing conditions suit them.

Choose full sun to partial shade and fertile, slightly acidic soil with good drainage. Also keep the soil consistently moist, especially during flowering and fruit development. Mulch around the root zone, keeping mulch clear of the trunk.

Feed moderately with a suitable fertiliser and protect young plants from frost, drying winds and prolonged dry conditions. While subtropical and tropical gardens offer favourable conditions, choose a sheltered position in cooler areas and protect it through winter.

Small leaves, dense foliage, and attractive peeling bark keep this tree appealing even between harvests. You can also grow it in the ground or in a large container with room for root development.

Expect slow growth and allow several years for young plants to reach fruiting maturity. Meanwhile, for more unusual fruit in your garden, explore our Grumichama and Acerola Cherry alongside your Jaboticaba plant.