Overview

Introduce a taste of the tropics to your garden with this vibrant Surinam cherry live plant, also known as Pitanga. This delightful fruit tree, scientifically named Eugenia uniflora, is celebrated for its attractive, glossy green leaves and distinctive, ribbed, bright red to dark purple fruits. Our Surinam cherry tree arrives as a healthy, established specimen, standing between 2 to 3 feet tall and securely rooted in a 3-gallon nursery pot, ensuring a strong start in your landscape. Originating from the tropical regions of South America, the Surinam cherry is not only a source of delicious, vitamin C-rich fruit but also an ornamental addition, providing beautiful foliage and small, fragrant white flowers that bloom intermittently throughout the year. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting, growing an exotic fruit plant like the Surinam cherry offers a rewarding experience and a bounty of fresh, homegrown produce.

The fruit’s flavor profile ranges from sweet to tart, making it versatile for eating fresh, in jams, jellies, pies, or juices. Early fruiting is common, so you won’t have to wait long to enjoy the harvest. This resilient plant adapts well to various conditions, making it a popular choice for home gardens in warmer climates. Its compact size when young also makes it suitable for container growing, allowing you to move it indoors during colder months if you live outside its hardiness zone. Embrace the joy of cultivating your own exotic fruits with this beautiful and productive plant.

Key Benefits

Growing a Surinam cherry live plant offers a multitude of benefits, from its delicious fruit to its aesthetic appeal and ease of care. It’s a fantastic choice for gardeners looking for both beauty and productivity.

• Abundant, Delicious Fruit: Enjoy a continuous supply of fresh, tart-sweet berries that are perfect for eating fresh, making jams, jellies, and juices. The unique flavor of this exotic fruit plant is a culinary delight.
• Ornamental Appeal: With its shiny, dark green leaves, attractive new growth that often flushes red, and small, fragrant white flowers, the Surinam cherry adds significant visual interest to any garden or patio.
• Relatively Low Maintenance: Once established, the Surinam cherry tree is quite hardy and requires minimal intervention, making it suitable for gardeners of all experience levels.
• Versatile Growing Options: Can be grown in the ground in tropical and subtropical climates or successfully cultivated in containers in cooler regions, allowing you to bring it indoors during winter.
• Fast Growing and Productive: This plant grows quickly and can start producing fruit at a young age, providing a satisfying return on your gardening efforts sooner rather than later.
• Rich in Nutrients: Surinam cherries are known for being high in Vitamin C, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds, contributing to a healthy diet.
• Attracts Pollinators: The small white flowers are attractive to bees and other pollinators, contributing to the biodiversity of your garden ecosystem.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Surinam cherry live plant is straightforward, especially if you provide it with the right conditions. This tropical plant thrives in warm environments and benefits from consistent moisture and adequate sunlight. For optimal growth and fruit production, select a location that receives full sun to partial shade. In hotter climates, some afternoon shade can protect the plant from intense sun. Aim for at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. When considering pitanga plant care, proper watering is crucial. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, especially during dry periods and while the plant is establishing. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out slightly between waterings.

The Surinam cherry prefers well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0). A rich, loamy soil amended with organic matter will provide the best environment for root development. If growing in a container, use a high-quality potting mix designed for fruit trees or tropical plants. Fertilize your Surinam cherry tree with a balanced slow-release fertilizer or a fruit tree specific formula every 2-3 months during the growing season (spring and summer). Reduce fertilization in fall and winter. Pruning can be done to maintain shape, encourage bushier growth, and improve air circulation, typically after fruiting. Monitor for common pests like aphids or scale insects and treat with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap if necessary.

Ensure your plant is protected from frost, as it is not tolerant of freezing temperatures. If you live in a colder climate, bring container-grown plants indoors before the first frost. Provide bright indirect light and reduce watering during its dormant period indoors. With proper attention to these care guidelines, your Surinam cherry live plant will flourish and provide you with years of delicious fruit.

Size & Details

This offering is for one healthy Surinam cherry live plant, which stands approximately 2 to 3 feet tall from the base of the pot to the top of the foliage. It is meticulously grown and shipped in a sturdy 3-gallon nursery pot, ensuring the root system is well-developed and ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger container. The plant exhibits a moderate growth rate, and with proper care, it can reach a mature height of 6 to 15 feet in the ground, though it can be kept smaller with pruning. When grown in a container, its size will be more constrained, typically reaching 4 to 8 feet, making it an excellent choice for patios or smaller spaces. Fruiting can begin as early as 1-2 years after planting, with peak production occurring in spring and late summer/fall, depending on your climate.

The plant will arrive carefully packaged to minimize stress during transit, with its roots protected and moist. Upon arrival, we recommend promptly unpacking and watering the plant, then allowing it to acclimate to its new environment before transplanting. The leaves are typically glossy and dark green, with new growth often showing a reddish tint before maturing. Expect a robust and vigorous specimen ready to establish itself in your home or garden, providing both ornamental beauty and a bountiful harvest.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Surinam cherry plant get? A: This Surinam cherry live plant is currently 2-3 feet tall. In the ground, it can reach 6-15 feet, but in a container, it usually stays between 4-8 feet, depending on pruning.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: The plant is shipped in a 3-gallon nursery pot, providing ample space for its root system to thrive during transit and before transplanting.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Surinam cherry tree is primarily an outdoor plant in USDA Zones 9-11. In colder climates, it can be grown outdoors in summer and brought indoors as a potted plant during winter.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: It thrives in full sun (6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily) to partial shade. In very hot climates, some afternoon shade is beneficial to prevent leaf scorch.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, pitanga plant care is relatively easy once established. It requires consistent watering, well-draining soil, and protection from frost. It’s a good choice for both novice and experienced gardeners.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Surinam cherry live plant will arrive carefully packaged, with its roots protected and moist, ensuring it reaches you in the best possible condition for planting.
• Q: Is it shipped in soil? A: Yes, the plant is shipped securely in its original 3-gallon nursery pot with its established soil, minimizing transplant shock.
• Q: Can I use Surinam cherry in cooking? A: Absolutely! The fruits are delicious fresh, and commonly used to make jams, jellies, pies, sauces, and juices. It’s a versatile exotic fruit plant for culinary endeavors.
• Q: Is it pet-safe? A: While the ripe fruit is generally considered safe for human consumption, the seeds and leaves of the Surinam cherry contain some compounds that can be toxic to pets if ingested in large quantities. It’s best to keep pets from consuming parts of the plant.
• Q: How long until it fruits? A: This Surinam cherry live plant can start producing fruit as early as 1-2 years after planting, with its main fruiting seasons typically in spring and late summer/fall.
• Q: What’s the best time to plant? A: The best time to plant is in spring or early summer, after the last threat of frost, allowing the plant ample time to establish before cooler weather.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: The Surinam cherry is cold-sensitive. It will survive winters outdoors in USDA Zones 9-11. In colder zones, it must be protected from frost or brought indoors.