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Java plum

Syzygium cumini

Also called Jambolan plum, Malabar Plum, Jambolan, Black Plum, Portuguese Plum, Rose Apple, Jamun

In Singapore: Java Plum, Jambolan, Jiwat, Salam, Kerian Duat, 乌墨, 乌口树, 乌木, 黑墨树, 海南蒲桃 (Naturalised in Singapore)

Java plum
Photo: Unknown author, Public domain

Java plum is a large evergreen tropical tree grown for its purple-black fruit, timber and shade. It grows fast in warm, humid climates and can become invasive where it is introduced.

Family
Myrtaceae (Myrtle family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water regularly while young, then moderately; tolerates short dry spells once established.
Soil
Well-drained loamy soil; tolerates a range of soil types.
Temperature
20–35 °C; protect below 5 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
Trop. & Subtrop. Asia to N. Queensland
Climate
wet tropical

About

Syzygium cumini, also known as Java plum, Malabar plum, jambolan, black plum, jamun, jambul, is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae, and favored for its fruit, timber, and ornamental value. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It can reach heights of up to 30 m (100 ft) and can live more than 100 years. A rapidly growing plant, it is considered an invasive species in many world regions.

Syzygium cumini has been introduced to areas including islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Where it grows

Syzygium cumini is native to the Indian subcontinent (the Andaman Islands, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Assam state, the Laccadive Islands and Sri Lanka); China (Hainan province, South-Central and Southeast China); Indonesia (Java, the Maluku Islands, Sulawesi); Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar); Australia (Queensland).

Uses

Jambolan fruits have a sweet or slightly acidic flavor, are eaten raw, and may be made into sauces or jam. Fruits may be made into juice, jelly, sorbet, syrup (e.g., kala khatta), or fruit salad.

Other Syzygium plants

Syzygium glaucum · Anise Myrtle · Syzygium antisepticum · Watery roseapple · Clove · Scrub cherry · Boxleaf Eugenia · Syzygium cerasiforme · Syzygium conglomeratum · Bumpy satinash · Weeping Myrtle · Sea apple

[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Syzygium cumini by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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