Syzyygium jambos- rose apple

[NaturalGreenthumb]

Has anyone fruited their Syzyygium jambos- rose apple in Southern California?

What is the difficulty level if any in growing these to fruit ?

[shaneatwell]

Has anyone fruited their Syzyygium jambos- rose apple in Southern California?

What is the difficulty level if any in growing these to fruit ?

Just bought one myself so nowhere near fruiting. BUT the san diego botanical garden has plenty of syzygium, including rose apple and all seem to fruit fine. I had a few yesterday and the were lovely.

[Jack, Nipomo]

Central CA count?  I've been growing rose apples for years, seeds brought back from an excellent bush in S. Baja home.  Fruit every third year or so, frost knocks down flowers/fruits the other years.  Have about 6 in gallon cans in the greenhouse from PR to plant out after this winter.  Don't know about fruit on those, but the Mexican ones are spicy and very good.  Don't know where that "tastes like rosewater" came from as these are the only ones I've ever had.  Also it is a very pretty bush.

[Sven]

There is (or was, it’s been a while) a mature tree at the Fullerton Arboretum (Orange County) that fruits every year and it does taste like roses smell. 

Jack, your spicy one sounds very interesting.  How cold does your property get?  I have one in a 5 gallon pot as well, but I may put it in a 15 gallon and wait till it’s a little bigger to put it out.

[shaneatwell]

I had a number of fruits yesterday and most od them had the aromatic rose-ish taste but one was more spicey. I think it was less ripe. Tasted more like the wax jamboo. Wonder if its related to cloves, another syzygium.

[Jack, Nipomo]

Here in Nipomo Hass avocados grow well.  Usual winter temps are 25 - 28º.  Durations are quite short. 25º hurts the rose apple to 1/4 limbs, 28º causes no damage.  Bushes are about 8 ft wide by 5 ft tall, very dense.  Timing of first freeze is important as earlier is worse before plants have hardened off.  Also growth is slow due to lack of summer heat (75º, fog) and plants are never very tender like those grown in warmer areas.

[emegar]

I can confirm that the Rose Apple is still growing at the Fullerton arboretum. I tried fruit from it last year and a seedling I grew from it has proven quite vigorous.  It's about 18" tall already.

[NaturalGreenthumb]

Thank you fellow fruit lovers

Happy to know that they will fruit.

So now I'm a new father of a rose apple.

[Sven]

Thanks Jack.  I’m a little less concerned since your winter temps are similar to ours, maybe I’ll plant it out next year and see how it goes.  By the way my uncle lives on the mesa and has 5 acres of Hass planted, it’s a great area.

[NaturalGreenthumb]

Do the rose apple need another tree to cross pollinate for  fruit set?


Syzyygium jambos Alston

[Soren]

Do the rose apple need another tree to cross pollinate for  fruit set?


Syzyygium jambos Alston

Nope - but likely cross-pollination will increase fruit set.