The Spondias pupurea are finally ripening! Other than air layers, has anyone ever propagated this from seed? I am not sure if I need to remove the seed coat or what, but I had no luck from seed last year. These taste good- like a cross between a mango and a tart strawberry.
It is also called purple Mombin and it is native to South America. It can reach up to 33 feet tall, and my tree is probably 20'-25', but in it's native habitat (dry areas) it is very sprawling and has contorted branching, often staying low to the ground. It is supposed to root easily from even large hard wood cuttings, but I prefer to start the seed if I can for good form. I posted a couple of other pics in plant files since there were no pics there.
Have you tasted one yet? You have me quite curious.
Yes, the flesh tastes like a combination between Mango and Strawberry, but you have to peel the skin off. The skin is edible, but to me it is rather chalky. Not a lot of fruit as the seed is big, but I like it. It also ripens and within 3 weeks all the fruit has matured, so it comes and goes rather quickly to me. It is supposed to be easy to root, so if you are really curious let me know and I will try some cuttings in teh spring.
Oh yes. Please try to root me a piece. I'll be happy to trade whatever I have in the spring. I've removed a lot of stuff right now.
Pam
OMG I have not tasted one of those in years!!!! I miss them so much and I used to eat skin and all. They are great with salt to, bad for the diet though!
Ok, I'll root a couple of Jocote in the spring. Clemen- I get tons of fruit, I can ship you some next year if you would like some.
Are you serious??? You would do that for me?? Ok postage will be on your way then or a nice trade could be!
I had postage in mind but trade could be cool, too. Dmail me around June (sometimes they ripen earlier than they did this year) and we'll go from there.
Yippie!
I don't have any mombins, but I do have one of their near relatives- an Ambarella, or Spondias dulcis. Mine have finaly started to ripen as well, after many months of longing looks.
I tasted my first one ever the other day and I have to agree, they DO taste somewhat like a mango, but tarter. Very yummy.
Perhaps I will try a mombin next. Now where to find the room?
That's funny- they do take awhile, don't they? We have the S. dulcis where I work, and somewhere in between watching them for several weeks and forgetting about them I always seem to miss tasting them!
I think it took at least 4 months from the time the fruit was full-sized until it was ripe. Which seems like forever to an impatient gardener like me.
It's interesting that they have one where you work. It's not that common a tree, and it doesn't seem like it would have much "landscape value", whatever that is. Beyond the yummy fruit, of course.
Up here in St. Pete, the only things planted around businesses are Crepe Myrtles, Live Oaks and the occasional Washingtonian Palm. Never anything good.
we grow them in the Philippines! locally they are called sineguelas http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/sineguelas-spanish-plum i love them when the skin turn purple ... that is the ripe stage to eat them. greenish form is unripe, i do not like texture and flavor in green stage. we don't eat them during the green stage.
yes June is the month for them to have abundant fruit just like any tropical fruits are readily available to consume. jmo
edited to add ripe stage of sineguellas http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=30&af=phi&ap=35&fi=phi174.jpg&txt=yes
This message was edited Dec 3, 2008 7:23 AM
Did you ever have any luck with getting from seeds? if so what worked?
