Description
Native to Brazil, this small fruit-bearing tree grows up to 7 meters tall, but is more commonly 3 to 5 meters tall with a short trunk and sprawling, flat-topped crown. The leaves are deciduous, small, dark green and closely arranged, creating a dense shade except in the dry season when they fall from the tree. The flowers are white, insignificant and start blooming at the end of the dry season, usefully coinciding with new leaf flush. These are followed by small, round fruit that ripen to yellow-green 4 to 5 months months after flowering.
Climate: Grows naturally in sub-humid tropical lowland climates, generally in areas with average annual low temperatures of 20 to 24 C, average annual high temperatures of 29 to 33 C and annual rainfall of 800 to1200 mm.
Growing: It is highly drought tolerant surviving dry condition for several months, due to its ability to store water in its roots.
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