$59.00
This beautiful small tree has very attractive dark glossy-green waxy leaves and very ornamental bark. The showy white flowers are followed by deep purple cherry sized fruit approximately 3 weeks from the time of flowering. The fruit is the most popular substitute in warmer climates for the traditional Prunus Cherry. The fruit has a sweet juicy cherry flavour eaten fresh or can be picked at maturity , frozen for later use or used in jellies, jams and juices. This compact tree is perfect for small back yard orchards as it is well suited to container growing, still producing an abundance of fruit even when kept as a potted bush. This is advantageous as the tree can then be easily netted during fruiting time as this tree is a favourite to the birds. The tree is highly ornamental requiring very little attention and pruning to keep it looking its best. It can also be used to make a hedge. The Brazillian tree, member of the Myrtaceae, can reach up to 10 metres in its tropical forest environment, but most often reaches a comfortable height of 4-5m. They are moderately fast, preferring frequent but small balanced nutrient application and regularly watering during flowering and fruit development although the tree itself, if not expecting fruit quality in the drier years is fairly drought tolerance. The tree can tolerate temperatures down to zero degrees.