Rose Apple, Syzygium jambos
Fig. 1
Syzygium jambo
s,
rose apple
Fig. 2
S. jambos
new growth
Fig. 3
Terminal leaves are always in pairs
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
S. jambos
(rose apple), flowers, Hana Hwy, Maui, Hawai’i
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
S. jambos
,
Myrtaceae
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Pomarrosa,
S. jambos
, La Pomarrosa Farm, Barlovento, north centre
Venezuela
Fig. 21
Rose-apple
S. jambos
,
Puebla, Mexico
Fig. 22
S.jambos
fruit (rose apples) and
foliage growing at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Como Park, St. Paul,
Minnesota, US
Fig. 29
Rose apple tree, Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA (Los
Angeles, California)
Fig. 30
Pomarrosa,
S. jambos
,
La Pomarrosa Farm, Barlovento, north centre Venezuela
Fig. 31
Rose apple habit Mexico
Fig. 32
S. jambos,
Hongkong
Fig. 33
S. jambos
,
Cape Town, South Africa
Fig. 34
Fig. 35
Scientific
name
Syzygium jambos
(L.) Alston
Pronunciation
sizz-ZYE-gee-um jam-BOS 4
Common names
Burmese: thabyu thabye; Chinese: pu tao; English: malabar plum, plum
rose, rose apple, water apple; French: jambosier, pomme rose; German:
Jambubaum, Rosenapfel, Rosenapfelbaum; Indian: jaman; Japanese: futo
momo; Khmer: ch ‘puu; Laotian: chieng, kieng; Malay: jambu air mawar
(Indonesia), jambu ayer mawar, jambu kelampok, jambu kelampol, jambu
kraton (Indonesia), jambu mawar (Indonesia), jambu mawer; malayalam:
yamu panawa; Nepalese: gulaav jaamun; Philippino: yambo; Portuguese:
jambo amarelo, jambo branco, jambo rosa, jambeiro; Russian: sitsigiui
dzhamboza; Spanish: jambo amarillo, manzana rosa, manzanita rosa, pomar
rosa (Puerto Rico), pomarrosa manzana rosa (Cuba), pomarrosa pomo
(Dominica Rep.), yambo (Philippines); Tagalog: tampoy, yambo; Thai:
chomphuunaam dok mai (chomphuu namdokmai), ma nom hom (northern
Thailand); Vietnamese: bodao, ly, roi 12
Synonyms
Eugenia decora
Salisb.,
E. jamboides
Wender.,
E. jambos
L,
E. jambos
var.
sylvatica
Gagnep.,
E. jambosa
Crantz,
E. malaccensis
Blanco,
E. malaccensis
f. cericarpa
(O.Deg.)
H.St.John,
E. monantha
Merr.,
E. vulgaris
Baill.,
Jambosa jambos
(L.) Millsp.,
J.
malaccensis f. cericarpa
O.Deg.,
J. palembanica
Blume,
J. vulgaris
DC.,
Myrtus
jambos
(L.) Kunth,
Plinia
jambos
(L.) M.Gómez,
Syzygium
jambos
var.
jambos,
S. jambos
var.
linearilimbum
H.T.Chang & R.H.Miao,
S.
jambos
var.
sylvaticum
(Gagnep.) Merr. & L.M.Perry,
S. merrillii
Masam.,
S. monanthum
(Merr.) Merr. & L.M.Perry 1
Relatives
Water apple (
S.
aqueum
), Blue lilly pilly (
S. coolminianum
),
water berry (
S. cordatum
),
jambolan, java plum (
S.
cumini
), water pear (
S.
guineense
), malay apple (
S. malaccense
),
java apple (
S.
samarangense
) 6
Family
Myrtaceae (myrtle family)
Origin
Southeast Asia
USDA hardiness zones
9-11 5
Uses
Fruit; living fence; ornamental
Height
25 or even 40 ft (7.5-12 m) 3
Spread
Often the overall width exceeding the height 3
Crown
Dense crown of slender, wide-spreading branches 3
Plant habit
Branching low on the trunk
Growth rate
Young plants have a slow rate of growth, speeding up as they grow older
Trunk/bark/branches
Twisted at the base; brown, furrowed, smooth bark 11
Leaves
Evergreen; opposite; lanceolate of narrow-elliptic; glossy dark green
when mature 3
Flowers
Large; white to greenish-white; perfect 2,5
Fruit
Drupe; globose to ovoid, smooth skin; fragrant; seeds 1-2 (-4), brown,
rough coated, polyembryonic 2
Season
May through July 3
Light requirement
Full shade to full sun 5
Soil tolerances
Copes with poor drainage; flooding; grows on various soil types 2
pH preference
5.5- 7.0, tolerating 5-8 2,7
Drought tolerance
Mature tree resists short periods
Aerosol salt
tolerance
High 5
Wind tolerance
High; used as a windbreak on coffee/cocoa plantations
Cold tolerance
Withstands minimum temperatures down to 32 °F (0°C) 2
Roots
Develops massive root systems
Invasive potential
Invasive potential *
Central, South: Caution
North: not a problem species
Pest resistance
Few Insects, but some diseases attack the tree 3
Known hazard
Seeds, leaves, stems, roots and bark are poisonous
due to the presence of the alkaloid jambosine and hydrocyanic acid 2
Reading Material
Syzygium jambos
,
PROSEA Foundation
Rose Apple,
Fruits of Warm Climates
Syzygium jambos
,
Agroforestree Database
Rose Apple,
California
Rare Fruit Growers
Origin
Native to Southeast Asia. Planted in most tropical countries and
naturalized in many parts of tropical Asia. The tree was introduced
around 1762 into Jamaica, from where it spread throughout the Caribbean
and Central America. It is considered invasive in some regions,
including Hawaii and parts of Central America and the Galápagos
Islands. 10
The rose apple was introduced into Florida, at Jacksonville, before
1877, but, as a fruit tree, it is suited only to the central and
southern parts of the state. In California, it is planted as far north
as San Francisco for its ornamental foliage and flowers. Because the
tree occupies considerable space and the fruit is little valued, the
rose apple has not been planted in Florida in recent years, though
there are quite a number of specimens remaining from former
times. 3
It is not a crop for commercial orchards,
but the trees are widely grown in home gardens. 2
Description
There are over 500 species in the genus, and
S. jambos
may be
confused with several of them, notably another weedy species,
S. cumini
. However,
the rosewater smell of
S.
jambos
fruit is distinctive for the species. 8
The rose apple is a highly decorative evergreen large shrub or small
tree growing to about 20 feet with low spreading branches and
pale-brown bark. It is wide spreading and often will be wider than its
height. 6
Leaves
The
leaves are about 10 x 0.6-2.4 in. (26 × 1.5-6 cm) in size, shiny and
pink when young then fading to pale green on the upper side and lighter
green and obscurely glandular punctate on the lower side. They are
narrow and gradually tapered to the base with 0.3-0.5 in. (6-13 mm)
long petiole. 11
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 4. New growth
Fig. 5. Rose apple, new growth, Parque Nacional Galápagos, Ecuador
Fig. 6,7. Rose apple leaves, Taiwan
Pollination
Pollination is by bees and other insects that are strongly attracted to
the plentiful nectar. 13
Flowers
The flowers are creamy-white or greenish-white, 2 to 4 in (5-10 cm)
wide, consisting mostly of about 300 conspicuous stamens to 1 1/2 in (4
cm) long, a 4-lobed calyx, and 4 greenish-white, concave petals. There
are usually 4 or 5 flowers together in terminal clusters. 3
The flowers are a rich source of nectar for honeybees. 6
Fig. 16
Fruit
The fruit ripens 3 months after bloom. The rosewater smell of the fruit
is distinctive for the species. 2
Capped with the prominent, green, tough calyx, the fruit is nearly
round, oval, or slightly pear-shaped, 1 1/2 to 2 in (4-5 cm) long, with
smooth, thin, pale-yellow or whitish skin, sometimes pink-blushed,
covering a crisp, mealy, dry to juicy layer of yellowish flesh, sweet
and resembling the scent of a rose in flavor. In the hollow center,
there are 1 to 4 brown, rough-coated, medium-hard, more or less rounded
seeds, 3/8 to 5/8 in (1-1.6 cm) thick, which loosen from the inner wall
and rattle when the fruit is shaken. Fragments of the seedcoat may be
found in the cavity.
The fruit is non-climacteric. 3
Fig. 23
Fig. 24
Fig. 25
Fig. 26
Fig. 27
Fig. 28
Fig. 25. Seed of a rose apple that fits loosely in the central cavity
of
the fruit, Pretoria, South Africa
Varieties
There are no standard cultivars available but selections can be made
from the available variability. 9
Harvesting
Rose apples bruise easily and are highly perishable. They must be
freshly picked to be crisp. 3
Propagation
Roseapple is normally propagated by seed. The seeds have no dormancy
and germinate well. A single seed often gives rise to 3-8 seedlings,
most of which are true to type. Other methods of propagation include
air layering, budding and grafting. Air layering is commonly done in
India and Bangladesh during the quiescent season. The layers are
planted after half a year. Roseapple can be budded on 10-12-month-old
rootstocks using the modified Forkert method;
Syzygium pycnanthum
Merr. & Perry and
Syzygium
samarangense
(Blume) Merr. & Perry can also serve as
rootstocks. The
juvenile phase lasts 4-5 years; air layered trees bear fruit within 4
years. 2
Planting
The rose apple is too large to make a suitable container plant. 6
Adequate shade must be provided to the plants during the early stages
of growth to avoid drying out by the sun. 9
Pruning
Pruning of rose apples is not usually necessary. In some countries it
is pruned drastically to promote dense growth and used as hedgerows
around coffee plantations. 6
Irrigation
The tree will tolerate semi-arid conditions, but prolonged dry spells
are detrimental. It should have frequent irrigation when the weather is
warm, and kept on the dry side when it’s cold. 6
Pests
The rose apple tree has few insect enemies. In humid climates, the
leaves are often coated with sooty mold growing on the honeydew
excreted by aphids. 3
Diseases
They are also prone to leaf spot caused by
Cercospora
sp.,
Gloeosporium
sp.,
and
Phyllosticta
eugeniae
; algal leaf spot (
Cephaleuros virescens
);
black leaf spot (
Asterinella
puiggarii
); and anthracnose (
Glomerella cingulata
).
Root rot caused by
Fusarium
sp., and mushroom root rot (
Armillariella
(Clitocybe)
tabescens
)
attack the tree. 3
Food Uses
The pulp has a high pectin content, making it suitable for use as a
settling agent. 2
Around the tropical world, rose apples are mostly eaten out-of-hand by
children. They are seldom marketed. In the home, they are sometimes
stewed with some sugar and served as dessert. Culinary experimenters
have devised other modes of using the cuplike halved fruits. One stuffs
them with a rice-and-meat mixture, covers them with a tomato sauce
seasoned with minced garlic, and bakes them for about 20 minutes.
Possible variations are limitless. The fruit is made into jam or jelly
with lemon juice added, or more frequently preserved in combination
with other fruits of more pronounced flavor. It is also made into a
sirup for use as a sauce or to flavor cold drinks. In Jamaica, the
halved or sliced fruits are candied by stewing them in very heavy sugar
sirup with cinnamon. 3
When cooked with custards or puddings, they impart a rose flavor. The
flowers can also be candied. 6
Nutritional Value
The
fruit contains per 100 g edible portion: water 84-89 g, protein 0.5-0.8
g, fat 0.2-0.3 g, carbohydrates 9.7-14.2 g, fibre 1-2 g, ash 0.3-0.4 g,
carotene 123-235 IU, vitamin B complex 0.55-1.04 mg and vitamin C 3-37
mg. The energy value is 234 kJ/100 g. 2
Medicinal Properties **
In India, the fruit is regarded as a tonic for the brain and liver. An
infusion of the fruit acts as a diuretic.
A
sweetened preparation of the flowers is believed to reduce fever. The
seeds are employed against diarrhea, dysentery and catarrh. In
Nicaragua, it has been claimed that an infusion of roasted, powdered
seeds is beneficial to diabetics. They say in Colombia that the seeds
have an anesthetic property.
The leaf decoction is applied to sore
eyes, also serves as a diuretic and expectorant and treatment for
rheumatism. The juice of macerated leaves is taken as a febrifuge.
Powdered leaves have been rubbed on the bodies of smallpox patients for
the cooling effect. 3
The bark contains 7-12.4% tannin. It is emetic
and cathartic. The decoction is administered to relieve asthma,
bronchitis and hoarseness. Cuban people believe that the root is an
effective remedy for epilepsy. 3
Other Uses
In 1849, it was announced in Bengal that the ripe fruits, with seeds
removed, could be distilled 4 times to make a “rosewater” equal to the
best obtained from rose petals. 3
A yellow essential oil, distilled from the leaves, contains, among
other properties, 26.84% dl-a-pinene and 23.84% l-limonene, and can be
resorted to as a source of these elements for use in the perfume
industry. 3
The wood has been used to make furniture, spokes for wheels, arms for
easy
chairs, knees for all kinds of boats, beams for construction, frames
for musical instruments (violins, guitars, etc.), and packing cases. It
is also popular for general turnery. 3
The flowers are a rich source of nectar for honeybees and the honey is
a good amber color. Much comes from the San Cristobal River Valley in
Cuba. 3
The bark contains 7% tannin
on a dry weight basis and is used for tanning and dyeing purposes.
The
plant is a useful melliferous and ornamental species; with its regular
shape, attractive foliage and striking appearance in bloom, it is a
useful avenue tree along driveways, etc. 2
General
As is often the case
the botanical name is Greek tainted by Latin. Syzygium is said to refer
to the tree’s paired leaves, one also sees “twin” leaves. The base
word, however, is zygos (zi-GHOS) the yoke. A person’s spouse in Greece
is called my Zizigos (ZEE-zee-ghos) my yoke mate. So the Greek speaker
would be strongly tempted to pronounce Syzygium as zee-ZEE-ee-yum.
Anglicized Latin would have it sizz-ZYE-gee-um. Jambos (jam-BOS) is the
Malaysian name for rose-apple though it comes from Sanskrit’s
Jambudvīpa, which means rose apple land. 4
Fig. 36.
S. jambos
distribution map
Other Edible
Syzygium
Genus:
Java Plum,
S. cumini
Malay Apple,
S. malaccense
Wax Jambu,
S
.
samarangense
List of
Growers and Vendors
