The Tropical Fruit Forum
Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: Finca La Isla on August 02, 2019, 12:30:27 PM
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Something exciting for us that stands out from the incredible fruit harvest we are currently getting is the harvest of safou. It’s fascinating how these beautiful fruits take about 6 months to develop into a bright pink oval shape, then slowly turn into a dark, royal blue. We pick them at this stage and let them ripen like avocadoes which is kind of what they are like, with an olive like after taste. Quite good.
Peter
(https://i.postimg.cc/7bmwBs6k/60-E98943-5-A47-4215-9630-C038-DCE23953.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7bmwBs6k)
(https://i.postimg.cc/rD5HHsJr/62-A29366-78-DB-4232-89-EE-ACB8-E506896-A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/rD5HHsJr)
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Something to be proud of! Congrats!
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Neat! How long did they take to fruit? I'm growing a couple of kinds of safous myself, but the plants are still pretty small. What size are those fruits in your photo?
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Hi Oscar, the safou trees are about 6 years old. Some of the seed came from fruit sold in Germany by Orkos and the others from another farm in CR. I should have posted a photo that better illustrates the fruit size. They are about 3” long or more and about an inch wide.
Supposedly they are diocious but I’m not sure. The one production tree flowered heavily. I did see a very few flowers on another tree that didn’t set but for a very short time and it’s hard to believe that could have accomplished all this pollination.
I’m posting a couple more pics of the tree size and the flowers just beginning to set fruit.
Peter
(https://i.postimg.cc/142ZwFsd/447022-E6-A9-ED-43-D2-BF8-E-5-E0502-A79-CB6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/142ZwFsd)
(https://i.postimg.cc/K3kSCGrQ/E8-F6-DDB4-3561-4-C15-B475-69-B7-E892854-C.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K3kSCGrQ)
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Concrat's Peter, that is for sure a beautiful fruit do you happen to no any kind of cold tolerance this safou has?
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Safou has been one of the most difficult things to get information on. It’s from Africa and much of Africa is dry, like California but it seems to come from a more tropical, wet area. But this seems to span Cameroon, to the Congo. There are highlands there. Maybe one of our members from central Africa might know more. It’s a very attractive tree with a good, avocado like fruit.
Peter
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Thanks Peter!
Great info to have! I have to admit extreme jealousy, though!!!
I have safou in my greenhouse and they have not flowered yet, and they are just over 4 years old. The seeds came from Cameroon.
Where these grow normally, there is a wet season and a dry season, but I have not stressed them by withholding water. Do you have a wet and dry season, or have they had consistent water year-round?
And I agree, they are not common in cultivation. Even in Cameroon, they don't really plant them, they just let the ones with the tastiest fruit grow naturally. There is NOTHING about the cultural requirements of this fruit. I have a had a few problems with over-fertilization (and I hardly gave them anything, but they burned).
What do you feed yours, if anything? Are they in full sun, or part shade?
If you have any tricks, I would love to talk more with you about your trees!!!!!!
My daughter-in-law is frothing at the mouth for mine to set fruit, and I hate it when I disappoint her!
Cheers, Carolyn
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Hi Peter, thanks for the extra info and photos. I've got a few in the ground and just got a couple of plants that is supposed to have giant sized fruits. Apparently there are quite a few different types in Africa.
Carolyn, i'm just feeding mine with a slow release fertilizer and mulched around the plants. They seem fussy at first when small, but once they start growing they can take off.
I will probably have safou seeds available in 1-2 weeks if anyone is interested then PM me.
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What are you thoughts on if they are dioecious? I just bought a single sapling today and I think i'm going to have to find it some friends.
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Ube in southern Nigeria, popularly eaten roasted.
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What are you thoughts on if they are dioecious? I just bought a single sapling today and I think i'm going to have to find it some friends.
Yes you are going to need more than one plant for cross pollination.
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When I asked today the seller told me I only needed one but there was also only one there.. I'm planning to get some more regardless. But I will enquire about it because I think the seller was thinking of a tree that produced by itself.
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When I asked today the seller told me I only needed one but there was also only one there.. I'm planning to get some more regardless. But I will enquire about it because I think the seller was thinking of a tree that produced by itself.
Unless it's a hermaphrodite it will not be possible because this species is dioecious (separate male and female trees).
https://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=rjmp.2011.32.41
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How large was the safou plant?
Question unrelated,have you ever propagating salac palm from pups?I wanted to take known females and males pups to take out the guesswork from seed.
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Safou has been one of the most difficult things to get information on. It’s from Africa and much of Africa is dry, like California but it seems to come from a more tropical, wet area. But this seems to span Cameroon, to the Congo. There are highlands there. Maybe one of our members from central Africa might know more. It’s a very attractive tree with a good, avocado like fruit.
Peter
Thanks Peter, for pic's and information on this fruit look's very interesting I think that it might not be to cold hardy in that it comes from tropical Africa. Any body know if seeds are prone to come male or female prominently ?
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Safou has been one of the most difficult things to get information on. It’s from Africa and much of Africa is dry, like California but it seems to come from a more tropical, wet area. But this seems to span Cameroon, to the Congo. There are highlands there. Maybe one of our members from central Africa might know more. It’s a very attractive tree with a good, avocado like fruit.
Peter
Congrats on fruiting this Peter, you'll have to be sure to post more info as you learn more about the trees by growing them.
There's not a lot of info on these online but there is a lot more than many other African fruits. The Lost Crops of Africa book devotes an entire chapter to this one. At lot of the info in the chapter is marginally useful fluff (sounds like it is geared towards UN bureaucrats) but there is also some good solid info in there as well. If you do not have the book, it used to be possible to find a free pdf copy online. There are also various articles on it and, of course, the Roy Danforth / Paul Noren book on Congo fruits.
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Even the male trees may produce a few female flowers, and fruit.
What I have wanted for quite a while are some really good, close-up photos of the male and female flowers.
Anybody have any of those?????
Carolyn
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Safou has been one of the most difficult things to get information on. It’s from Africa and much of Africa is dry, like California but it seems to come from a more tropical, wet area. But this seems to span Cameroon, to the Congo. There are highlands there. Maybe one of our members from central Africa might know more. It’s a very attractive tree with a good, avocado like fruit.
Peter
Congrats on fruiting this Peter, you'll have to be sure to post more info as you learn more about the trees by growing them.
There's not a lot of info on these online but there is a lot more than many other African fruits. The Lost Crops of Africa book devotes an entire chapter to this one. At lot of the info in the chapter is marginally useful fluff (sounds like it is geared towards UN bureaucrats) but there is also some good solid info in there as well. If you do not have the book, it used to be possible to find a free pdf copy online. There are also various articles on it and, of course, the Roy Danforth / Paul Noren book on Congo fruits.
I also found this article. It's mostly about the medicinal uses of safou and it's a techinical article, but some good info in there. http://docsdrive.com/pdfs/academicjournals/rjmp/2011/32-41.pdf (http://docsdrive.com/pdfs/academicjournals/rjmp/2011/32-41.pdf)
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My farm is organic so no conventual fertilizer. Where the safou are is a clay loam of about 6.1. Ph. We mulch and apply biochar with occasional application of microorganisms. Recently they got some seaweed and rock phosphate.
The safou responded to a short dry period from late December to early February that seemed to induce the flowering. There is some canopy around them and I feel it would be better to have more sun. The other person who has safou in production in CR has them in the sun and is in an area with a more pronounced dry season than what I have.
While an individual tree might possibly produce on its own I think it would be irresponsible to promote it as such unless you really knew that it came from a hermaphrodite tree.
Salak can be divided but it’s not so easy. We pick a low sucker, attach a pot with medium to it and begin cutting to separate it. I cut half way through, wait 2 weeks and cut half what’s left, and again until it pulls off. Simply dividing them without this process has had a poor result.
Peter
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Is the safou tree 10 foot or so?
Thanks for the good info on salac palms
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The tree in the photo is about 30’ and the trunk is 6” thick.
I am posting another photo of the fruits.
(https://i.postimg.cc/yJsvvcYF/A840-F63-A-E16-A-4-F13-8-BAA-1-CA9-D0-C32-E91.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/yJsvvcYF)
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Hi Peter
Is the taste similar to Dabai?
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That’s a good question. I’ve never tasted Dabai. That’s another thing that I have planted and has still not produced. When I was in Borneo last year it was out of season.
Peter
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They are from the same family would be interesting to compare they both have similar taste descriptions
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Just checked my email and the seller says that they have a single safou that bears well. I know they live rural and I doubt there would be another one anywhere close to them. Can you tell which of your trees are male and female Peter?
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Haven't tasted either safou or dabai, but have heard from others that they taste similar, and both are described as tasting similar to avocado. Yes you are right, they are both in same family Burseraceae.
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And they both are listed as being diocious. But we know there can be exceptions.
I have six trees all about the same development. One flowered profusely and I saw one other tree briefly flower way in the top of the tree where it was hard to see the details of the flowers. The production tree flowered over a long period and set fruit pretty well. It’s my impression, at this point, that at least some fruits were produced without being pollinated from another tree.
I’m planning to make an airlayer of that tree and plant it on its own, see what happens. I might get lucky.
Peter
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In looking at my "100 Tropical Fruits, Nuts and Spices for the Central African Home Garden", the authors say that the "trees are male-female dominant, meaning that some trees produce mostly male flowers and are low producers, while others produce mostly female flowers and are high producers".
I am taking this to mean that they are not strictly dioecious, which is good news for those of us who only have a few trees.
Cheers,
Carolyn
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them are dioecious plant?
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Haven't tasted either safou or dabai, but have heard from others that they taste similar, and both are described as tasting similar to avocado. Yes you are right, they are both in same family Burseraceae.
More on the taste of dabai. I found this video and the guys in the video describe dabai taste in detail. If you don't want to watch the entire video, rewind to 7 min 50 sec mark. Although, the video itself is pretty cool!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIs-nmZwSHs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIs-nmZwSHs)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/mP4vTx46/334-BD800-3154-45-A5-8-A24-6-F3-F8107122-C.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mP4vTx46)
Figured i’d Add this to the thread, bought some seeds off Oscar few months ago, got three to germinate the rest rotted and were eaten by very tiny mite/ant looking bugs. Here pictured are two plants which to me the leaves look somewhat different shapes one more rounded vs other larger teardrop.
Anyone with experience on lowest recorded temperatures these have tolerated? ...just bought a small greenhouse and getting prepared for this winter incase I have to move these among others into the green house. Avg lows are low 40’s F.
-Joep450
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Great fatty fruit that has a natural saltiness and it is similar in a way to Dabai , thanks to Peter I had a chance to try it
(https://i.postimg.cc/J06MhBfb/C923690-B-B197-45-E8-B31-F-52-CC8-A98-CA90.jpg)
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How Is Oscar able to sell seeds if the plants haven’t even fruited yet? ???
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There seem to be quite a few single trees that bear fruit in north Queensland. The fruit seem to vary considerably between trees in form and colour. Trees seem to prefer full sun and can be quite tall and thin.
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The tree that has produced is easily the best shaped tree. I had been led to believe that the fruits are collected from the ground. Now I think, at least here, it’s best to harvest the fruits before something eats it. They ripened nicely at the house and then the ripe fruits kept pretty well in the fridge.
So, I think it is best to shape safou trees for ease of picking and, yes, full sun. We recently removed a large native spondias tree that has been casting a lot of shade on those guys.
Peter
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The tree that has produced is easily the best shaped tree. I had been led to believe that the fruits are collected from the ground. Now I think, at least here, it’s best to harvest the fruits before something eats it. They ripened nicely at the house and then the ripe fruits kept pretty well in the fridge.
So, I think it is best to shape safou trees for ease of picking and, yes, full sun. We recently removed a large native spondias tree that has been casting a lot of shade on those guys.
Peter
FLI,
How did you shape the safou tree's?
Mike,
Do you know if the dabai tree's at CBG have fruited yet, just asking to see at what size (height, girth) they could fruit in our neck of the woods. I know the one that's growing almost in the little artifical creek is the biggest with greatest girth.
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With safou the fruits appear pretty much terminally on the branches so we want a bushy tree that doesn’t grow too tall since picking the fruits before they drop is best for us.
Peter
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With safou the fruits appear pretty much terminally on the branches so we want a bushy tree that doesn’t grow too tall since picking the fruits before they drop is best for us.
Peter
Great, thanks!
Good to know it's preferable to pick it rather then let it drop like a durian for instance. Every bit of info helps :)
And maybe the rodents will get a taste for them if they go "ripe" on the tree.
Maybe not bat's becuase they don't go for our avo's which is "low" in carbohydrates, they love breadfruit so maybe they prefer the carb rich fruits.
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Thanks for the info Peter!
Got a few of these from Forest house cameroon and it looks like they somehow survived the storm we had in TX with temps in my greenhouse briefly touching 30
Sounds like an interesting fruit that would be a great addition to salads, hopefully even though mine are in pots they will eventually produce
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Sure, there’s not much info on safou. We’re new to it here too. Perhaps it can tolerate some cold.
Suerte
Peter