Getting Started Growing M Bijugatus/Oliviformus -quenepa, mamoncillo, genip, etc

[BlakeGrowsInMA]

Hi All,

I am a newbie to tropical fruit, looking to start growing indoors.  I'm planning on starting with a fruit I became obsessed with when I traveled to Yucatan MX and Guatemala - Melicoccus bijugatus/oliviformus.  I don't know which one I've had tbh!  Probably Oliviformus?

At the moment, my wife and I don't have much room, so I am only hoping to have one of each Bijugatus and Oliviformus trees - which we will be growing indoors. 

I have read about the Florida Bijugatus cultivars Queen and Montgomery, as well as the PR cultivars Sasa and Jose Pabon.  I have found seedlings and grafted plants from FL and PR online that I'm pretty sure are all Bijugatus.  It seems like they are hermaphrodite cultivars, so I'd only need one to get fruit. 
I have not found any info about cultivars of Melicoccus Oliviformus, or seen any of them for sale online besides the user "raulglezruiz" selling Oliviformus seeds on this forum a few years ago.  It seems Oliviformus is monoecius so I'd only need one to get fruit as well.

I've read everything about quenepa on this forum, and a fair amount from Google, but still have a few questions I am hoping to get some help with as I get underway in order to be successful.  Here are the main things I am wondering:

- Is any particular cultivar known as a superior rootstock with these trees?
- Do you know of any good sources for Oliviformus seeds, seedlings, or grafted specimens?
- Do you know of any specific Oliviformus cultivars to aim for?
- I have read that grafting is quite difficult with these plants - is it worth trying to make a multigrafted tree for Bijugatus?  If not, what cultivar would you have if you could just have one?

Ideally, I'm hoping to find a grafted specimen of each to purchase, but I know I may have to go from seed or seedling for Oliviformus at least.
Any help is appreciated - let me know if I'm missing anything obvious because I'm a newb - thanks!

[NateTheGreat]

I don't think those are feasible to grow indoors. Some small, tough plants like cacao or coffee sure, but this is a big tree (80 feet tall). I recommend starting some seeds of whichever you can find, and if they make it through a couple winters then worry about finding scions to graft.

[canito 17]

Is well know that Puerto Rico cultivars are the best. Fairchild garden have a sasa that is not the original one. MA is too far North. Good luck!

[BlakeGrowsInMA]

Thanks for the input guys - Nate -  I am pretty confident I’ll be able to grow these, but we’l see.  I have read of others growing them indoors and have eaten from a tree with tons of fruit that was at most 15’ tall.  When they get big enough, I’ll transplant them to greenhouse with about 10’ of headroom or so - so hoping that’a fine.

[digigarden]

Melicoccus bijugatus(quenepa/mamoncillo/limoncillo) is more common. central america,caribbean,south america. these are a bit sweet-sour and the pulp sticks to the seed. they are dioecious i believe. but there's different named varieties that have both flowers so you would only need one tree. you can find seeds or plants of this online.



talisia oliviformis(guaya/cotoperiz) these are from mexico and are harder to find. you can get a plant from mexico but it's expensive. the pulp doesn't stick to the seed i believe. these first two can be confused and even many people in latin america won't know the difference.

there's another one from brazil called talisia esculenta(pitomba) these are really tasty and look different. the fruit looks brown-orange ish. the leaves are clearly different from the other two. However they do hybridize with t.oliviformis. so when you get one of these last two you might get a different degree of t.oliviformis or t.esculenta.

[canito 17]

Cotoperiz not worth it.  Real Sasa pulp dont stick to the seed and is more sweet

[driftwood]

Hi All,

I am a newbie to tropical fruit, looking to start growing indoors.  I'm planning on starting with a fruit I became obsessed with when I traveled to Yucatan MX and Guatemala - Melicoccus bijugatus/oliviformus.  I don't know which one I've had tbh!  Probably Oliviformus?

At the moment, my wife and I don't have much room, so I am only hoping to have one of each Bijugatus and Oliviformus trees - which we will be growing indoors. 

I have read about the Florida Bijugatus cultivars Queen and Montgomery, as well as the PR cultivars Sasa and Jose Pabon.  I have found seedlings and grafted plants from FL and PR online that I'm pretty sure are all Bijugatus.  It seems like they are hermaphrodite cultivars, so I'd only need one to get fruit. 
I have not found any info about cultivars of Melicoccus Oliviformus, or seen any of them for sale online besides the user "raulglezruiz" selling Oliviformus seeds on this forum a few years ago.  It seems Oliviformus is monoecius so I'd only need one to get fruit as well.

I've read everything about quenepa on this forum, and a fair amount from Google, but still have a few questions I am hoping to get some help with as I get underway in order to be successful.  Here are the main things I am wondering:

- Is any particular cultivar known as a superior rootstock with these trees?
- Do you know of any good sources for Oliviformus seeds, seedlings, or grafted specimens?
- Do you know of any specific Oliviformus cultivars to aim for?
- I have read that grafting is quite difficult with these plants - is it worth trying to make a multigrafted tree for Bijugatus?  If not, what cultivar would you have if you could just have one?

Ideally, I'm hoping to find a grafted specimen of each to purchase, but I know I may have to go from seed or seedling for Oliviformus at least.
Any help is appreciated - let me know if I'm missing anything obvious because I'm a newb - thanks!

Hello Blake, I don't think there are really any superior root stocks (someone can correct if wrong, I dont mean to assume I just hadnt heard of any). Most people grow from seed. There are some fruit vendors on etsy probably from PR and they are very easy to sprout.

Lara Farms also sells a giant quenepa tree that's grafted. I havent tried it but it looks delcious. They sell the fruit too but can't get the fruit from them til next summer

Melicoccus bijugatus(quenepa/mamoncillo/limoncillo) is more common. central america,caribbean,south america. these are a bit sweet-sour and the pulp sticks to the seed. they are dioecious i believe. but there's different named varieties that have both flowers so you would only need one tree. you can find seeds or plants of this online.



talisia oliviformis(guaya/cotoperiz) these are from mexico and are harder to find. you can get a plant from mexico but it's expensive. the pulp doesn't stick to the seed i believe. these first two can be confused and even many people in latin america won't know the difference.

there's another one from brazil called talisia esculenta(pitomba) these are really tasty and look different. the fruit looks brown-orange ish. the leaves are clearly different from the other two. However they do hybridize with t.oliviformis. so when you get one of these last two you might get a different degree of t.oliviformis or t.esculenta.

I was confused when you said pitomba cause I am used to the eugenia named pitomba, but it looks so yummy! so does the oliviformis. I didn't realize these last 2 fruits existed or were different from the quenepas in PR and FL

thx for the info

[BlakeGrowsInMA]

Awesome info folks - appreciate it!

I saw the lara farms website, but didn't see any spanish lime trees on there.  I'll email and ask.

Digigarden - I hadn't come across talisa esculenta in my research - thanks for the tip!  I wonder if I'll have an easier time finding it.  There are lots of Bijugatus seeds/seedlings for sale on Ebay/Etsy especially, but I have found nothing for Oliviformus so far (that is in stock at least).

Maybe Raul will get back to me, or otherwise I could start emailing random nurseries in MX to try to get seeds for Oliviformus at least.

[achetadomestica]

<br /><br />



<br /><br />


A couple years ago I was buying a few trees from a guy on this forum and
I came across a 6" seedling labelled Guaya. Talk about being in the right place
at the right time. I think I paid $5 for it.  I planted it this past Summer and
hoping it can survive the Winters? It has very delicate leaves and the Sri Lankan
Weevils were killing the new growth, Luckily I sprayed it before this new flush

[BlakeGrowsInMA]

Jealous!  Looks like it's growing great achetadomestica