Latin name - Syzgium samarangense

The Wax Jambu Tree and it’s abundance of crispy pink fruits look straight out of a Dr. Suess book. Imagine a large umbrella-shaped tree with deep dark shade below. In summer the tree strikes a pose, boasting hundreds of bright pink bell-shaped fruits against a backdrop of glossy green leaves.

Also called water apple, java apple, wax apple, Jambu Semarang, makopa, jamrool, ambake, curacaose, and many mouthfuls of less familiar language. Wax Jambu is native to Malaysia and Southeast Asia where more than 1100 of its cousins live too (a very large genus!).

Wax Jambu fruits are crisp and juicy like a watermelon, with flavor that’s mild, sweet, and sometimes floral. Fruits are typically seedless and can be eaten raw in their entirety. The astringent flowers are weakly-antibiotic and are used in Taiwanese culture to treat fever and diarrhea.

Pick the fruits by hand every few days, opting for the darkest shades of red (the sweetest fruits). Fruits may grow on any part of the tree including the trunk or branches. Fruits grow in clusters which makes harvest a fairly quick ordeal. Handle with care and store immediately indoors in cool shade. 

Don’t worry if you miss your harvest. Wax Jambu knows when it’s done and drops all it’s fruits at once, carpeting the ground with a slippery layer of… VALUE! All that biomass is great for increasing biodiversity and layering with mulch to re-feed your hardworking tree.

Although it's a heavy bearer, Wax Jambu also takes alternate years off to recuperate. Give plenty of water but hold back on watering as fruits come to full maturity in order to avoid splitting.

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Size - Up to 50’ Tall and 50’ Wide

Noteable Characteristics - Fruits are delicate; alternate bearer

Sunlight requirements - Full sun 

Cold hardy temp - Zones 10-11, damaged below 44 F

Harvest Season - Summer (May-July)