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Gowok

Syzygium polycephalum

Gowok
Photo: Si Gam, CC BY-SA 4.0

Gowok is a tropical forest tree native to Sumatra, Borneo, Java and nearby islands, reaching 8 to 20 m tall. Its edible fruit and young leaves are gathered locally, and it is grown mainly for its fruit rather than as an ornamental.

Family
Myrtaceae (Myrtle family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Part shade, Full sun
Water
Keep soil consistently moist during the growing season, but never waterlogged.
Soil
Deep, fertile, well-drained loam or forest-type soil with plenty of organic matter.
Temperature
20–32 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
W. & C. Malesia
Climate
wet tropical

About

Syzygium polycephalum, the gowok, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is native to western and central Malesia; Sumatra, Borneo, Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and Sulawesi. A tree reaching 8 to 20 m (26 to 66 ft), it is typically found in secondary forests at elevations from 200 to 1,800 m (700 to 5,900 ft). Its fruit and its young violet-colored leaves are edible and gathered from the wild and from cultivated specimens by local peoples. In particular, the fruit is used to make a "highly esteemed" jelly. It has been assessed as Near Threatened due to deforestation.

Other Syzygium plants

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

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Syzygium polycephalum 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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