Red Hawaiian holly, Red tree-vine
Leea rubra

Family: Vitaceae

What it is like

A shrub which keeps growing from year to year. It is 1-3 m high. The stems are somewhat woody. The leaves are large and dark-green. The leaves are compound and twice divided. The whole leaf is 40 cm long. This is divided into 2-3 segments which is then divided into 2-3 leaflets. A leaflet may be 6.5-20 cm long by 3.5-7 cm wide. There are teeth around the edge. Flowers are small and deep pink or red. They are 0.3-0.5 cm across. Many flowers occur together on large flower arrangements up to 15 cm across. The fruit are flattened lobed berries. They are 0.6-0.8 cm across. They are bright red and turn black when ripe. The fruit are edible.

It is native to Thailand. Also put in the family Leeaceae. Leeaceae occur in the tropics. There are about 70 Leea species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. They grow naturally in coastal monsoon vine-forests. It grows in low, wet areas of mixed deciduous forest in Thailand. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Cambodia, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten. They are soaked in water and the husk removed. The seeds are pounded with treacle then eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

Plants can be grow from fresh seeds or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Anwak, Dhalarrmung, Ginggiyang beureum, Kah-dung-bai, Leea, Mali-mali puchok merah, Nagamauk-ni

Synonyms

Leea brunoniana C. B. Clarke;