Eugenia Cerasiflora

Eugenia Cerasiflora, also known as castor bean, and cherry pitanga, is native and endemic to the Atlantic Forest along the coast and to the altitude semideciduous forests , occurring in the states of Minas Gerais, Bahia, São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina, Brazil. This tree grows from 2 to 4 meters (or up to 10 m when in the forest) with a compact, cylindrical crown with evergreen foliage, the trunk is short and cylindrical, with grayish bark and a rough to rough texture when the tree gets older. The fruits are subglobose or cylindrical, measuring 1.5 to 1.8 cm long and 8 mm to 1.4 cm wide, with a thin red skin surrounding a reddish gelatinous pulp that covers a rounded grayish seed. When eating the fruit, pick the berries when they are bright red, and let them set on the counter for an additional 2-3 days more maximum flavor. People in Brazil use this to make a delicious Jelly. This tree is similar to the Puniciflora, but it creates an actual tree rather than a shrub. Seeds are viable and will be shipped in humid vermiculite.