Bushveld Water berry
Syzygium guineense subsp. guineense

Family: Myrtaceae

What it is like

A densely leafy tree. It grows to 10-20 m high. The trunk is 60 cm across. The bark is light grey. It flakes off in patches. The leaves are dark green and occur in opposite pairs. They are 6-16 cm long and have a long tip. The flowers are small and white. They are in dense heads. The fruit are oval and purple-black. They are shiny when ripe. They are 3 cm long and occur in bunches. There are 20-30 fruit in a bunch. The ripe fruit is edible.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in wooded grassland. In East Africa it grows from sea level to 2,100 m altitude. It fruits best near water. It can grow in coastal sands. It can tolerate fire. It grows in savannah regions.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The very ripe fruit are eaten raw. They are also used for drinks and vinegar. The young leaves are cooked and eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit, root - tea, bark - tea, leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds. They should be sown fresh. Seedlings can be transplanted. It can be grown from suckers. Trees can be cut back ad will re-grow.

Plants grow quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Butote, Cadjo, Culelam-o, Dokma, Gossu, Guareba, Kalunginsavu, Katope, Kikulu, Masdi, Mbunguzi, Mfuwa, Mosane, Mukute, Musadulambo, Mutumadi, Mutuphemba, Mzuari, Nkulu, N'ocasso, Nopede, Ntepera, Po-branco, Shelelay, Sotono, Trafidin-tera, Umdoni, Water pear

Synonyms

Calyptranthes guineense Willd.; Syzygium huillense (Hiern.) Engl.; Syzygium guineense subsp macrocarpum (Engl.) White; Syzygium guineense var. guineense Keay; Syzygium guineense var. macrocarpum Engl.; Syzygium owariense sensu Williamson;