Plinia cauliflora
Plinia cauliflora
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,700 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 28°c, but can tolerate 10 - 32°c[1]. When dormant, the plant can survive occasional short-lived temperatures down to about -3°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[1]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 900 - 1,500mm, but tolerates 700 - 1,700mm[1]. Requires a sunny position[2]. Prefers a fertile, deep, well-drained, humus-rich, mildly-acid soil[3, 4]. Tolerant of moderate levels of salt in the soil[1]. Plants have a high requirement for iron[3]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7.5, tolerating 4.5 - 8[1]. Newly planted young trees are quite slow to establish and grow away[2]. Plants commence fruiting in about 6 - 10 years from seed and 4 years from layering[5, 4]. In warm tropical and subtropical areas with light rainfall he plant can produce 5 or 6 crops each year[3]. The flowers and fruits are formed on the trunk and branches[5]. Plants have a compact, fibrous root system and transplant well[5]. There is at least one named form[6].
Propagation
Seed - it has a short viability and so is best sown as soon as it is ripe. Sow in a semi-shaded position in a nursery seedbed. Germination rates can be 90% or more, with the seed sprouting within 20 - 35 days[2]. The seedlings grow quite slowly[2]. Cuttings Side-veneer grafting Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Plinia+cauliflora>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [2]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.
- [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [4]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.
- [5]Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. — Barwick. M. · Thames & Hudson, London · 2004 · ISBN 0-500-51181-0 ↩︎A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.
- [6]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.
- [7]Brazilian Fruits and Cultivated Exotics — Lorenzi. H.; Bacher. L.; Lacerda. M.; Sartori. S. · Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora LTDA; Brazil. · 2000 · ISBN 85-867174-24-0 ↩︎A superb book, giving information on several hundred fruit species. Each entry has a brief description of the plant and its uses, accompanied by one to many excellent quality photographs of the fruits.