Bignay: flowering and fruiting

[KarenRei]

Concerning bignay / Antidesma bunius:

1) Does anyone know the typical flowering and fruiting times?  The exact dates don't matter as much as the length of time in which they're in bloom / time the fruit is on the tree / length of the harvest.  The only thing I've found is one page mentioning that the harvest is 3 months.  The flowering time is particularly of interest as the flowers are foul smelling.

2) How long does the fruit last off the tree (shelf life)?

3) I'm finding mixed information about pollination.  The trees are dioecious, but one source says that female trees fruit abundantly without males, while another recommends one male for every 10-12 females.  What's the reality?

[Grapebush]

I know of a few trees of this species, and all of them are isolated, and fruit very well on their own, so I don't think they need more than one to fruit!
About how long the flowering last, I'm not sure, but I now that both flowering and fruiting are not uniform, and you can have sometimes flowers, small fruits, and almost ripe fruits at the same time, wich means you can never harvest all the fruit at once, sometimes even in the same raceme.
About shelf life I have no idea as I always eat them directly from the tree, and never tried to save some to see how long do they last.

[roblack]

Mine are fairly fast growing. The seller, another forum member, told me they fruit on their own, but perhaps fruit more prolifically with a male plant. Not sure, but I kept a couple extras just in case.

[KarenRei]

Thanks for the info!

Is the flower smell as terrible as it's sometimes described?  Aka, if it were in a large greenhouse, would we need to specifically control ventilation near it?

[fruitlovers]

Have fruiting trees. They usually fruit in summer. The fruiting time is rather short, a few weeks, but can have second flowering season. The viability of fruits is very short, even in the fridge. I've never found the flowers to smell bad, but haven't tried smelling them close up. It's better to have more than one tree, especially inside a greenhouse.

[KarenRei]

Thanks Oscar!

[Luisport]

I know of a few trees of this species, and all of them are isolated, and fruit very well on their own, so I don't think they need more than one to fruit!
About how long the flowering last, I'm not sure, but I now that both flowering and fruiting are not uniform, and you can have sometimes flowers, small fruits, and almost ripe fruits at the same time, wich means you can never harvest all the fruit at once, sometimes even in the same raceme.
About shelf life I have no idea as I always eat them directly from the tree, and never tried to save some to see how long do they last.

Hello my friend! Did you eat any fruit yet? They are etable? 

[nelesedulis]

Hello Oscar,

I have some trees loaded with immature fruits now, a doubt how to consume?

They are a little sour, but I like the taste, they remind me of the taste of Gondo, the problem is that the trees are planted near other delicacies here like longans and cambuca, so even if I strive to eat the bignay, the eyes always they are to another side!

I think about making a kind of wine or jelly with and are they possible?

Have fruiting trees. They usually fruit in summer. The fruiting time is rather short, a few weeks, but can have second flowering season. The viability of fruits is very short, even in the fridge. I've never found the flowers to smell bad, but haven't tried smelling them close up. It's better to have more than one tree, especially inside a greenhouse.

[fruitlovers]

Hello Oscar,

I have some trees loaded with immature fruits now, a doubt how to consume?

They are a little sour, but I like the taste, they remind me of the taste of Gondo, the problem is that the trees are planted near other delicacies here like longans and cambuca, so even if I strive to eat the bignay, the eyes always they are to another side!

I think about making a kind of wine or jelly with and are they possible?

Have fruiting trees. They usually fruit in summer. The fruiting time is rather short, a few weeks, but can have second flowering season. The viability of fruits is very short, even in the fridge. I've never found the flowers to smell bad, but haven't tried smelling them close up. It's better to have more than one tree, especially inside a greenhouse.

Don't think they are very good out of hand, and also quite small. But they make excellent wine and jelly.

[Grapebush]

I know of a few trees of this species, and all of them are isolated, and fruit very well on their own, so I don't think they need more than one to fruit!
About how long the flowering last, I'm not sure, but I now that both flowering and fruiting are not uniform, and you can have sometimes flowers, small fruits, and almost ripe fruits at the same time, wich means you can never harvest all the fruit at once, sometimes even in the same raceme.
About shelf life I have no idea as I always eat them directly from the tree, and never tried to save some to see how long do they last.

Hello my friend! Did you eat any fruit yet? They are etable? 

Yes, they are eatable, but not the best fruit I ever eat in my life! If properly ripe, they are a bit sweet, lightly crisp, and a bit adstringent.

About the flower smell, I've never notice a bad smell coming from it, but I also never put my nose close to it.

[Luisport]

I know of a few trees of this species, and all of them are isolated, and fruit very well on their own, so I don't think they need more than one to fruit!
About how long the flowering last, I'm not sure, but I now that both flowering and fruiting are not uniform, and you can have sometimes flowers, small fruits, and almost ripe fruits at the same time, wich means you can never harvest all the fruit at once, sometimes even in the same raceme.
About shelf life I have no idea as I always eat them directly from the tree, and never tried to save some to see how long do they last.

Hello my friend! Did you eat any fruit yet? They are etable? 

Yes, they are eatable, but not the best fruit I ever eat in my life! If properly ripe, they are a bit sweet, lightly crisp, and a bit adstringent.

About the flower smell, I've never notice a bad smell coming from it, but I also never put my nose close to it.

Regarding the bignay it is rewarded by the nutrition beneficts. Here we say: quem se cura não se regala!