Melicoccus oliviformis
Melicoccus oliviformis
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of the hot, tropical lowlands[1]. It is found in areas with an average annual temperature of 26 °c, with a maximum temperature of 36.7 °c and a minimum temperature of 14.9 °c[2]. It succeeds in areas with a low to high rainfall that range between 900 - 1,800 mm with an average of approximately 1288mm[1, 2]. Plants are intolerant of frost[1]. Succeeds in full sun to fairly dense, dappled shade[3]. Prefers a well-drained soil[3]. Succeeds in poor to good soils[1]. Young plants have a moderate rate of growth[3]. A long-lived, but slow-growing tree[2]. Seedling trees can commence fruiting when 7 - 10 years old[1]. This plant is probably one of the ancient Maya fruit trees[4]. Plants are usually dioecious, so both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate of less than 30% can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 40 - 50 days[3]. Under humid conditions, fresh seeds germinate at 80 percent without pre-treatment. A heterogeneous sample of seeds germinated approximately 12 days after sowing[2]. The seeds remain viable for approximately 9 months when stored under ambient conditions (24 to 30°c). Longer storage quickly diminishes seed viability[2]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Melicoccus+oliviformis>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics : an Inventory — Martin, F. W.; Campbell, C. W.; Rubertbe, R. M. · U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service · 1987 ↩︎A booklet giving terse details of almost 300 species of edible fruits, plus regional lists of Botanical and Common names for over 2,500 less well-known edible fruits of the tropics.
- [2]Tropical Tree Seed Manual — Vosso. J. Editor. · USDA Forest Service. · 2002 · http://www.rngr.net/Publications/ttsm ↩︎An extremely good guide, it can also be downloaded in its entirety from the address shown above.
- [3]Brazilian Trees. Volume 3. — Lorenzi. H. · Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. · 2009 · ISBN 85-86714-34-4 ↩︎Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
- [4]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
- [5]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.