Eugenia zuccarinii

Botanical Name: Eugenia zuccarinii (often misspelled as zaccurini)

Common Names: Guapi-Nhem Acu, Guapinhêm-Açù

Eugenia zuccarinii is an extremely rare collector's gem from the coastal forests of Rio de Janeiro. This slow-growing dwarf tree is highly adaptable and absolutely perfect for growing in pots and fast growing. It is a massive winner for backyard growers because it fruits at a very young age, often in its second year when only thirty centimetres tall. The stunning, highly fragrant white flowers put on a massive show that bees love, followed by unique dark purple berries with a very large seed and mildly sweet flesh, that melts off as you eat it. Still considered a wild fruit with virtually zero cultivation.

Features:

Ideal prune height range: 1.5-2.5m

pH growing conditions: 5.5 to 6.5

Shade or full sun: Part shade to full sun

Minimum pot year 5: 35L pot

Time to fruit age: 2-3 years from seed

This species is incredibly resilient for a tropical tree. It has surprising cold hardiness and can handle short temperature drops down to -3c, meaning it handles standard winter spells beautifully in Perth, even Margaret River and the wheatbelt.

It forms a compact, ornamental shrub with dark green, hairless leaves. Regular watering and a good mulch layer keep it happy during dry spells.

Interesting Notes:

While considered B grade, the flavor of the little amount of fruit is interesting, tasting like a delicious mix of sweet dried prunes, cherries, and tangy pitanga when very ripe. While the seed inside is on the larger side, the dark purple flesh is juicy, aromatic, and pleasant eaten straight off the bush or turned into gourmet jams and juices. Luckily it's a very prolific fruiter.

This is a top-tier choice for rare fruit collectors wanting easy growing yet super unusual from a small garden space.

Limited stock. Pickup from Parkwood, WA. Delivery to Perth Metro only.

Keywords: Eugenia zuccarinii, rare fruit tree, dwarf fruit tree Perth, backyard fruit tree, exotic fruit tree