Jaboticaba

Jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora) is one of the most unusual fruit trees you can grow. The flowers and fruit grow straight off the trunk and main branches, covering them in round, purple black fruit. Inside the skin is sweet, white, jelly like flesh with a flavour similar to a grape.

It is a slow growing, bushy tree with fine leaves and attractive peeling bark, and it suits a large pot as well as the garden. It likes rich, slightly acidic soil that stays moist, so water regularly, especially while it flowers and fruits. Well watered trees can fruit several times a year. Seedling trees can take years to start bearing, so patience pays.