Pitangatuba (Eugenia Selloi) Fruit Plant

The Orgin at Cerrado and Atlantic forest regions of Brazil, the rare, bright yellow Pitangatuba fruit has a very unique and extremely powerful flavor.  Pitangatuba fruit tastes simultaneously sweet, and acidic, with a apricot-meets-mango-like flavor that’s really unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. It is adapted to low-lying sub-tropical and tropical open areas with drier conditions than experienced in more western Brazilian forests. A small perennial evergreen bush growing to 2.5m with spreading branches. The opposite leathery entire leaves, 3-5cm long, are glabrous dark green on the upper surface and finely pubescent lighter colour underneath, contain oil glands, and have a very short petiole.

Cultivation Guide 

• Soil & Moisture:
  Likes moist, rich well-draining soil. Pitangatuba trees respond quickly to irrigation, the fruit rapidly becoming larger and more flavorful in flavor after a good watering.
• Light Requirements:
  Full Sun, Part Shade
• Growth Rate:
  Fast, Medium
• Zone Hardiness:
  Outdoors 9-12 with frost protection until established; Patio/Greenhouse 4+
• Propagation:
  Small/Medium Pot Sizes: Grown from seed or tissue culture and will be mature enough to potentially fruit within 2-3 years.
  Large Pot Size: Grown from seed or tissue culture and capable to produce within 1 year.

As there’s been little research done on this species in its native environment and none in WA, the best we can do is adopt management practices comparable to better known south American relatives in the genus eg pitanga. To obtain fruit, self-incompatibility will need to be addressed with multiple plants or grafts. It would be quite suitable as a pot plant given its small size.