Bacupari, achacha
Garcinia gardneriana

Family: Clusiaceae

What it is like

A small evergreen tree with a dense crown. A popular fruit within its native range, being gathered from the wild and also commonly cultivated in home gardens.

Garcinia gardneriana is an evergreen Tree growing to 8 m (26ft) by 6 m (19ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 8

Where it is found

Rainforests, usually on land that does not get inundated. Often found in gallery forests.

S. America - Paraguay, southern, eastern, central and northern Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Brazil; Bolivia, Plurinational State of; Peru

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw. An acidic, pulpy flesh. A sweet, white pulp. A very tasty fruit but it has little edible pulp. The fruit is around 5cm in diameter.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 2

Other Uses: The wood is soft, moderately heavy, moderately durable under natural conditions. It is used for the manufacture of tool handles, fence posts, general construction etc. We do not have any more information on the wood of this species, but a general description of the wood for trees in the Americas which were formerly considered to be in the genus Rheedia is as follows: The heartwood is dark yellow-brown, grayish- or pinkish-brown, merging gradually into the sapwood; surfaces are sometimes specked with resinous exudations. The texture is medium to coarse; the grain straight to irregular and roey; luster medium to rather low; it is free from discernible odour or taste. Species in Surinam are rated durable to attack by decay fungi and fairly resistant to dry wood termites. Species in Colombia are resistant to a brown-rot fungus but not the white-rot in a laboratory assay. Under field conditions the wood was susceptible to decay and attack by insects. It dries rapidly, but is reported to be moderately difficult to air season, tending to warp and check. Reports on workability vary with species from moderate to high resistance to cutting to machining fairly well; reports on ease of finishing are also variable. The wood is used for purposes such as furniture, flooring (quarter sawn), heavy construction, and general carpentry.

Fencing: Plants that can be used for fencing.

Furniture: A few miscellaneous uses that do not fit easily into other headings.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Although in nature the tree grows in the shade of the rainforest, it produces more fruit when growing in a sunny position. Trees can withstand periodic inundation. Newly planted young trees are slow to establish and grow away. Young trees, planted in a sunny position, commence fruiting sooner than plants growing in shady positions.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, in a shady position in individual containers. A germination rate in excess of 80% is usually achieved with the seed sprouting in 60 - 80 days. The seedlings grow away slowly.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

achacha, achachairú - Spanish (Bolivia)

Synonyms

Possibly a a synonym of Garcinia brasiliensis Mart.(also in the database).