This month Sloan Thompson, Planting Justice's Nursery Office Clerk, shares her favorite plant in the nursery for our Plant of the Month.
"While it's not currently in season, I’d have to say that my favorite plant at the nursery is the Surinam Cherry.
This plant is native to Eastern South America and its fruit has incredible anti-inflammatory properties. I’m so fascinated by the Surinam Cherry because of how the fruit looks and tastes. I also like a challenge and it can be difficult to grow and fruit in some areas here in the East Bay without a greenhouse."
While the Surinam Cherry (Eugenia Uniflora) is not related to common cherry trees, It gets its name because the fruit is shaped like a cherry and it does have a seed in the center.
This plant can be grown as a large shrub or a small tree. In Florida this plant has been used to create hedges. If left to grow on its own it can reach a mature height of about 25 feet.
You can find this plant growing in places such as Hawaii, India, the Philippines, Samoa, and parts of Florida. There are some places where this tropical plant could be considered invasive so please check with your local extension office to see if this plant is invasive in your area.
The Surinam Cherry is also an evergreen plant with leaves that change to a red color in the fall. However if you live in areas that dip below 30 degrees in the winter, you might want to grow your plant in a pot so you can move it indoors or into a greenhouse for the winter season.
The fruit, which comes in colors of green, yellow, red, and dark red can be used in creating jellies, jams, and sauces.
Purchase a Surinam Cherry from Planting Justice and add it to your garden, orchard, or greenhouse today!
For nutrient information and possible health benefits this link.
[Public Domain botanical illustrations used from plantillustrations.org]
