Eugenia dysenterica - a winner!

[Soren]

It is always a pleasure to try a new fruit - and today I tasted Eugenia dysenterica for the first time.!



The fruit was fairly large with a beautiful yellow color. In size and form it appeared like the temperate Prunus cerasifera.



The fruit was slightly overripe and had turned a bit soft in one end - however, when I cut it open it burst and plenty of juices poured out. The skin was slightly tough, and unlike Eugenia victoriana and other Eugenia spp. there were no maggots of fruitflies in it - likely due to the skin.
It struck me immediately, that also the taste was similar to a sweet Prunus cerasifera I used to enjoy back in Denmark as a child, but with slight lemon tones to it and without the bitter after taste some Eugenia spp. suffers from.

A winner in my book.!

[fruitlovers]

Glad to hear you liked it. Never tasted Prunus cerasifera, so still a bit of a mystery your description. I believe that Miguel in Portugal also reported on Eugenia dysenterice on previous thread and also liked it.

[Soren]

Glad to hear you liked it. Never tasted Prunus cerasifera, so still a bit of a mystery your description. I believe that Miguel in Portugal also reported on Eugenia dysenterice on previous thread and also liked it.

Plum-like taste - I got the seeds from Anestor years back, and the poor tree was barely hanging on for season after season in the shade until last year when it flowered for the first time. Now the neighbor Noni will get the axe so the E. dysenterice can take over - it definitely deserves it.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

congrats Soren...to me this is a great accomplishment.

I hope you get lots of other cerrado species to fruit!!

[Ethan]

Congrats Soren,
something about the name dysenterica that makes me worry about eating too many fruits at one time.    Glad to hear they are good to eat and pretty on top of that.

[luc]

Good job Soren  , I wonder if anybody else outside of Brazil managed to fruit this one . And don't cut the noni ...trust me ...my wife and I swear by it ....

[jmc96]

Talked me into it, just bought 3 seeds off EBay Thailand for $US12.60. What 's the viability of the seeds like?
The package will probably take 2-3 weeks to arrive.

[Mike T]

Soren, axe the noni like I did with mine.I tried the fruit many ways and gave them away to noni enthusiasts but it truely is a lacklustre species in many ways.The fruit slime from falling fruit under the tree had me free style skiing on many occasions and scraping foul smelling paste from between my toes.
I suspect the seeds from Thailand are not from a fruit tree grown in Thailand.Visions of spray painting porcelain hound me when I see this Eugenia's name.
I had one seed sprout from many this year.The fruit seems pretty similar to lutescens and pyriformis.

[huertasurbanas]

Congrats Soren!!!, I am looking for "caigata" since I saw this photo on the net 1 year ago:



a very nice looking tree! and now we know it's a nice tasting fruit, thanks for your detailed report!!!

How old is your tree?

[Coconut]

It is always a pleasure to try a new fruit - and today I tasted Eugenia dysenterica for the first time.!



The fruit was fairly large with a beautiful yellow color. In size and form it appeared like the temperate Prunus cerasifera.



The fruit was slightly overripe and had turned a bit soft in one end - however, when I cut it open it burst and plenty of juices poured out. The skin was slightly tough, and unlike Eugenia victoriana and other Eugenia spp. there were no maggots of fruitflies in it - likely due to the skin.
It struck me immediately, that also the taste was similar to a sweet Prunus cerasifera I used to enjoy back in Denmark as a child, but with slight lemon tones to it and without the bitter after taste some Eugenia spp. suffers from.

A winner in my book.!

Thanks for verifying it a wonderful fruit Soren, mine just sprouted, how long did it take for you to fruit from seed?  Soren how many fruits did you get from your little tree? 

[Soren]

My small tree only produced 10 or so flowers, with a single fruit to mature. I can't remember when I got the seeds, but years back - however, it was in a pot until 4 years ago (I still have several others in pots). Eugenia dysenterica dislikes transplanting, so avoid exposing the roots - however, though dieback can happened, it usually sprouts back after a while and appears very drought resistant with almost rhizome-like roots.
And indeed the new plant shoots and leaves are very beautiful - for what I understand it will mature into a fairly big tree.

Mike - the noni next to it was more for the beauty of the large leaves - even cows doesn't feed on the fruit, so that tree will get the axe over the weekend. I remember seed viability to be high, but of course will depend on the freshness of the seeds. And by the way; seed - pulp ratio was good with only one small seed in the fruit.
With one only fruit, I didn't have any toilet-related issues to report ;-)

[Doglips]

And don't cut the noni ...trust me ...my wife and I swear by it ....

ick.

[Coconut]

My small tree only produced 10 or so flowers, with a single fruit to mature. I can't remember when I got the seeds, but years back - however, it was in a pot until 4 years ago (I still have several others in pots). Eugenia dysenterica dislikes transplanting, so avoid exposing the roots - however, though dieback can happened, it usually sprouts back after a while and appears very drought resistant with almost rhizome-like roots.
And indeed the new plant shoots and leaves are very beautiful - for what I understand it will mature into a fairly big tree.

Mike - the noni next to it was more for the beauty of the large leaves - even cows doesn't feed on the fruit, so that tree will get the axe over the weekend. I remember seed viability to be high, but of course will depend on the freshness of the seeds. And by the way; seed - pulp ratio was good with only one small seed in the fruit.
With one only fruit, I didn't have any toilet-related issues to report ;-)

Mike T
Soren, axe the noni like I did with mine.I tried the fruit many ways and gave them away to noni enthusiasts but it truely is a lacklustre species in many ways.The fruit slime from falling fruit under the tree had me free style skiing on many occasions and scraping foul smelling paste from between my toes.
I suspect the seeds from Thailand are not from a fruit tree grown in Thailand.Visions of spray painting porcelain hound me when I see this Eugenia's name.
I had one seed sprout from many this year.The fruit seems pretty similar to lutescens and pyriformis.

Thank you Soren for the critical Information, I am going to plant it in the front of the house in my HOA area were my sprinkler does not reach.  Nasty neighbors can help themselves to this fruits in future to teach them a lesson from stealing my litchee & alano in front of house!! I am sorry to hear the Porcelain God did not get a faithful donation this year from all those years of false promises; but perhaps next year with more fruits you can atone your sin by spraying the porcelain covenant to appease Mike T our Garden Variety Porcelain God's Messiah.       

[gunnar429]

And don't cut the noni ...trust me ...my wife and I swear by it ....

What is your secret, Luc?

[Miguel.pt]

Glad to hear you liked it. Never tasted Prunus cerasifera, so still a bit of a mystery your description. I believe that Miguel in Portugal also reported on Eugenia dysenterice on previous thread and also liked it.

Oscar...
Unfortunatly you're mistaken!... I still don't have Cagaitas here in Portugal, but I hope to have it someday!... maybe you're confusing it with the Ubajaí (Eugenia myrcianthes)

But I do have lots of Prunus cerasifera fruits (cherry-plums; myrobalan plums) every year!

[ClayMango]

Congrats Soren!!!, I am looking for "caigata" since I saw this photo on the net 1 year ago:



a very nice looking tree! and now we know it's a nice tasting fruit, thanks for your detailed report!!!

How old is your tree?

This tree is beautiful!!!! It doesnt even need to fruit...wow you got a bonus with this baby!

[luc]

And don't cut the noni ...trust me ...my wife and I swear by it ....

What is your secret, Luc?

No secret at all Gunnar , but since we take the home made juice and not even daily , we have not had a cold or other infection . I put the clean fruit in a glass jar , close with cheese cloth , in full sun and let the golden juice seep out , drain after a week or so and keep in the fridge . We take a shot glass once in a while . Works for us .

[siafu]

And don't cut the noni ...trust me ...my wife and I swear by it ....

What is your secret, Luc?

No secret at all Gunnar , but since we take the home made juice and not even daily , we have not had a cold or other infection . I put the clean fruit in a glass jar , close with cheese cloth , in full sun and let the golden juice seep out , drain after a week or so and keep in the fridge . We take a shot glass once in a while . Works for us .

Are you sure it's not the tequila, instead?

[micah]

Hi,
When the caigata is a young seedling.. Can it handle sun or should it be in shade?  I'm confused on this one, isn't it a cerrado plant (which I take as..put in full sun)?  Only have three seedlings and I'm scared to experiment with them.
Also about watering when young how much?
Thanks for any help

[Soren]

Hi,
When the caigata is a young seedling.. Can it handle sun or should it be in shade?  I'm confused on this one, isn't it a cerrado plant (which I take as..put in full sun)?  Only have three seedlings and I'm scared to experiment with them.
Also about watering when young how much?
Thanks for any help

I would say partial shade; and make sure it has full drainage and it doesn't like repotting. However, it re-sprouts happily from the main trunk at ground level even when it appears to be dead.

[micah]

Mahalo Soren!
I will use coco's advice and plant where the big fruit fly (humans) can see and pick.  Heehee. Teach um bout taking without asking.. I live in jungle far away from public bathroom. Hikers may have to run runs
Very good to hear that real fruit flies dont bother fruit

[luc]

Here are my plants from seed 10.4.14 , a little worried about the light green on the leaves , is it missing something , soil has a lot of peat moss for acidity .
Has full sun in the afternoon .

[Coconut]

Here are my plants from seed 10.4.14 , a little worried about the light green on the leaves , is it missing something , soil has a lot of peat moss for acidity .
Has full sun in the afternoon .

Luc your is fine, mine is in peat most too & it look like your until I had decided to speed up growth.  So I gave it seaweed fertilizer and it now look like it got to much to eat; it lost its green color otherwise healthy growing in full sun;

[Soren]

Seems like this season will provide a bumper crop! Guess I will now be able to comment on the side effects if any.

[Coconut]

Seems like this season will provide a bumper crop! Guess I will now be able to comment on the side effects if any.

Fantastic your are already there.  Mine seem to have a very slow juvenile phase! Please let us know on the the toilet roll paper scale how this one compare to California dry prunes!😄. I heard rumors that this fruit can offer a better au natural approach to colon cleaning; colonoscopy than the real Doctor??😁. Cant wait to save money on Obamacare!😝