Sugar fruit, Crow-berry
Osteomeles schwerinae

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

It is a bushy shrub. It grows 3 m high. The branches arch over. The leaves have small leaflets along the stalk. The leaflets are greyish and downy. The flowers are white. They are 18 mm across. The flowers are in dense clusters. The fruit are small dark red berries. They ripen to bluish-black.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is native to SW China. It grows in Yunnan in China. It grows in mixed forests between 1,000-3,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 8-10. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Britain, China (country/location of origin), Europe, Hawaii, Myanmar, Pacific, SE Asia, Taiwan, Tibet

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

In Yunnan fruit are harvested in August and September.

Its other names

Local names

Dazhu, Sele

Synonyms

Osteomeles anthyllidifolia Franch.; Osteomeles boninensis (Decne.) Nakai; Osteomeles chinensis Lingelsh. & Borza; Osteomeles lanata Nakai ex Tuyama;