“Red-fruited type, in the ground about 3 years. Cultivar unspecified.”
Background
Cultivar unconfirmed: 'red jaboticaba' in the U.S. trade is a red-fruited selection of Plinia cauliflora rather than a single named cultivar. Florida nurseries sell it generically — e.g., Green Dreams FL offers a 'red-fruited selection' and Let's Grow Florida a 'var. Red.' No dominant named red cultivar could be verified in this research, so Matt's tree (in the ground about 3 years) is best recorded as an unconfirmed red-fruited selection.
Distinguishing traits
Red to deep reddish-purple fruit (instead of the usual purplish-black), sweet juicy pulp, classic cauliflorous habit with fruit forming directly on the trunk and older branches. Otherwise similar in tree form and growth to Sabara: slow-growing evergreen, multiple crops per year possible in warm, humid conditions with consistent irrigation.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- None required (tropical evergreen)
- Cold hardiness
- Same as other jaboticabas: protect young trees below ~32°F; established trees tolerate brief dips to about 27-29°F.
- Heat tolerance
- Heat-loving tropical, but needs steady moisture and benefits from afternoon shade in dry desert summers; shelter from hot, drying winds.
- Water
- Consistent moisture is critical; mulch heavily and irrigate regularly, especially in summer.
- Soil
- Moist, well-drained, acidic (pH 5.5-6.5); alkaline desert soil needs amendment and iron supplementation.
- Sun exposure
- Filtered or dappled light preferred while young; full sun to part shade when established.
Where to buy
- Green Dreams FL
- Let's Grow Florida