Must-have eugenias (based on flavor)

[gunnar429]

I have limited space, but am interested in eugenias, and even have several.   I know some of you collect eugenias for fun, but I want to gear this toward eugenias that are worthy of being grown, based on their flavor and production.

Thus far, I have:

grumichama (brasiliensis)
rainforest plum (candolleana)
Cherry of rio grande (involucrata)
pitomba (luschnatiana)
Australian beach cherry/cedar bay cherry (reinwardtiana)
pitangatuba (selloi/neontida)
Dwarf grumixama (itaguahiensis)

Also interested in:
Araza (stipitata)
uvalha (pyriformis)
surinam cherry (uniflora) black variety
E. pitanga
E. florida
E. victoriana

others?

Which ones are high-quality in terms of taste?
Not interested in types that cannot handle high ph soils of south florida.

Any info would be quite helpful.

What are your favorites?

So far, I thought grumichama and pitomba were quite good, but haven't tried many of them.

[nullzero]

Eugenia calycina should have on your list as well.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=6258

[gunnar429]

Eugenia calycina should have on your list as well.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=6258

Thanks.  sounds good.

I am concerned a little about the "cerrado curse"

[nullzero]

Eugenia calycina should have on your list as well.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=6258

Thanks.  sounds good.

I am concerned a little about the "cerrado curse"

It grows fine, no issue with this one.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

yes there are several varieties of almost every Eugenia you can think of...the E. calycina has a few varieties....one is supposedly much more tolerant of humid/wet conditions during the winter months.

If I can get caught up with my grafting, I might have some of these available by later this year.

Eugenia calycina should have on your list as well.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=6258

Thanks.  sounds good.

I am concerned a little about the "cerrado curse"

It grows fine, no issue with this one.

[nullzero]

yes there are several varieties of almost every Eugenia you can think of...the E. calycina has a few varieties....one is supposedly much more tolerant of humid/wet conditions during the winter months.

If I can get caught up with my grafting, I might have some of these available by later this year.

Eugenia calycina should have on your list as well.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=6258

Thanks.  sounds good.

I am concerned a little about the "cerrado curse"

It grows fine, no issue with this one.

Keep us updated, would be interesting to try a grafted one out. E. calycina has been slower growing for me, perhaps it can be sped up with a vigorous Eugenia rootstock?

[luc]

Gunnar , Calycina is doing fine here also , no cerrado curse.

To make things simple I divide the Eugenias into SWEET , ACID and those with an acquired taste like myrcianthes and selloi ( ex . neonitida )

In the acid ones there are several excellent fruits , not for eating out of hand but in Milkshakes with a little sugar added .

[gunnar429]

Gunnar , Calycina is doing fine here also , no cerrado curse.

To make things simple I divide the Eugenias into SWEET , ACID and those with an acquired taste like myrcianthes and selloi ( ex . neonitida )

In the acid ones there are several excellent fruits , not for eating out of hand but in Milkshakes with a little sugar added .

such as araza?  what others?

[bsbullie]

Gunnar , Calycina is doing fine here also , no cerrado curse.

To make things simple I divide the Eugenias into SWEET , ACID and those with an acquired taste like myrcianthes and selloi ( ex . neonitida )

In the acid ones there are several excellent fruits , not for eating out of hand but in Milkshakes with a little sugar added .

such as araza?  what others?

E. stipitata may be one of the MOST sour fruits you will ever taste.  Other than the aid of a miracle fruit, you may need a bit more than a "little" sugar depending on your taste buds.

If you like sour fruits with good flavor, you may want to look into a Cas guava (I can't remember if you tried a fruit during one of your visits to Excalibur).

[gunnar429]

never got to try the cas guava, but i do enjoy sour fruits, provided they have good complex flavors. 

[bsbullie]

never got to try the cas guava, but i do enjoy sour fruits, provided they have good complex flavors.

Very complex tropical flavor and tree is quite ornamental.  Not your run of the mill psidium.

[gunnar429]

never got to try the cas guava, but i do enjoy sour fruits, provided they have good complex flavors.

Very complex tropical flavor and tree is quite ornamental.  Not your run of the mill psidium.

I know the tree gets quite large.  Is it able to be pruned back to keep it in check?

[dreamfrutas]

The second sweetest fruit that I ever tasted was a Yellow Grumichama, not only that the flavor was top! (the sweetest one was the Calabura, but nit even close as good in taste). A good variety of the normal Grumixama is a top fruit also.

rainforest plum (candolleana), a very good fruit, recommended
Cherry of rio grande (involucrata), the same
pitomba (luschnatiana)  also
Australian beach cherry/cedar bay cherry (reinwardtiana) good
pitangatuba (selloi/neontida)  sour
Dwarf grumixama (itaguahiensis)  very good

Also interested in:
Araza (stipitata)  sour, delicious ice creams and juices
uvalha (pyriformis)  very good
surinam cherry (uniflora) black variety  very very good
E. pitanga  never tried
E. florida  good to very good

Cheers

[gunnar429]

The second sweetest fruit that I ever tasted was a Yellow Grumichama, not only that the flavor was top! (the sweetest one was the Calabura, but nit even close as good in taste). A good variety of the normal Grumixama is a top fruit also.

rainforest plum (candolleana), a very good fruit, recommended
Cherry of rio grande (involucrata), the same
pitomba (luschnatiana)  also
Australian beach cherry/cedar bay cherry (reinwardtiana) good
pitangatuba (selloi/neontida)  sour
Dwarf grumixama (itaguahiensis)  very good

Also interested in:
Araza (stipitata)  sour, delicious ice creams and juices
uvalha (pyriformis)  very good
surinam cherry (uniflora) black variety  very very good
E. pitanga  never tried
E. florida  good to very good

Cheers

Thanks, Carlos.

[Mike T]

Cedar Bay Cherry is pretty ordinary, E.victoriana provides a puckering experience like stipitata and E.florida doesn't seem seem get many pats on the back.
E.lutescens and E.lutescens x pyriformis and we'll as sweet pyriformis might be more than worthwhile. I have a big fruiting yellow grumi that kicks ass.Some of the species Vitor was offering looked respectable. 

[Miguel.pt]

Hello Jeff.

IMHO a black fruit Eugenia pitanga is much better than any other Eugenia uniflora I have ever had.

On your list I would add the Guamirim (Eugenia florida)... small fruit but very tasty!

Regarding Eugenia calycina I'm probably one of the few Forum members that have been eating this fruits regularly in the last years... and please believe me, this is one of the best!

Keep collecting and best regards!

[luc]

Gunnar , another excellent but acid Eugenia is the subspecies sororia of the E. stipitata . Pulp is orange and very flavorful . I just planted more of these . They take 4 to 5 months to germinate ( seeds )

[fruitlovers]

I think Carlos and MikeT have already given very good advice. I would categorize the different eugenias into whether they are good out of hand or need some processing to enjoy eating. I think both stipitata and victoriana need some processing. Most people would not be able to tolerate them straight out of hand. The pitangatuba, although a bit tart, i find delicious out of hand. Most people put down the florida as worthless, but i believe Miguel when he says they are quite good. He might have a special strain of them? The uvalha there seems to be both tart and sweet types.
BTW, i think our knowledge, including my own, of what eugenias are the "best" is extremely limited. Remember that there are over 1000 species of eugenias, and probably more than twice than that in different selections of each. This will give you an idea of how many eugenias there are: http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Myrtaceae/Eugenia/
So we really only know which are the best of a very very few that have been so far popularized.

[Soren]

Eugenia dysenterica

[Mike T]

What about Eugenia cereja?

[stuartdaly88]

Eugenia dysenterica

Does involve any effects like the name implies??

[Berto]

It was mentioned already, E. calycina is easy to grow. It takes city water quite well. My tree is flowering now! Last year, the fruits dropped. Fingers are crossed!

[Soren]

Eugenia dysenterica

Does involve any effects like the name implies??

Not from the single fruit I tasted - hopefully most of the flowers will get pollinated this year 

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Gunnar , another excellent but acid Eugenia is the subspecies sororia of the E. stipitata . Pulp is orange and very flavorful . I just planted more of these . They take 4 to 5 months to germinate ( seeds )

super excited about this one...have some seedlings doing well so far....and have plans to propagate it in the future!

for me, being in central FL, I'd say these are my favs:

E. uniflora (good varieties only)
E. involucrata
E. selloi
E. pyriformis
E. candolleana
E. brasiliensis (yellow fruited from Treesnmore was best i've tasted by far)
E. luschnathiana
E. reinwardtiana


still working on some species that might be great for my area...
E. calycina
E. itaguahiensis
E. mattosii
E. pyriformis x lutescens
E. involucrata (yellow fruited selection?)
E. pitanga
E. florida
E. lutescens
E. subterminalis (or whatever the real name is? not sure if it's plinia now?)
and a few others!!

[gunnar429]

Gunnar , another excellent but acid Eugenia is the subspecies sororia of the E. stipitata . Pulp is orange and very flavorful . I just planted more of these . They take 4 to 5 months to germinate ( seeds )

super excited about this one...have some seedlings doing well so far....and have plans to propagate it in the future!

for me, being in central FL, I'd say these are my favs:

E. uniflora (good varieties only)
E. involucrata
E. selloi
E. pyriformis
E. candolleana
E. brasiliensis (yellow fruited from Treesnmore was best i've tasted by far)
E. luschnathiana
E. reinwardtiana


still working on some species that might be great for my area...
E. calycina
E. itaguahiensis
E. mattosii
E. pyriformis x lutescens
E. involucrata (yellow fruited selection?)
E. pitanga
E. florida
E. lutescens
E. subterminalis (or whatever the real name is? not sure if it's plinia now?)
and a few others!!

definitely interested in the stipitata sororia.  We will talk more soon, my friend.  They have a yellow CORG???  You're blowing my mind.  Now to get some acreage...