THE GRUMICHAMA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Eugenia dombeyi or E. brasiliensis
FAMILY: Myrtaceae
Quick to Grow,
Lovely to Behold
and a Juicy Treat to Boot!
The grumichama is native to Brazil and belongs to a group of tropical shrubs or small trees that are excellent tropical fruits. It is not very large, usually reaching 15-20 feet at maturity with a spread of 10-12 feet.
Grumichama can be used as a specimen shrub or for hedging; it grows at a rate of about two to three feet a year under normal conditions. The leaves are 3-4 inches long, glossy dark green and have a leathery texture. New growth, as it emerges, is a beautiful light red or wine color.
The grumichama can grow in a wide variety of soils and do best in a rich acid soil. On highly alkaline sites, such as the extreme southern part of Florida, it often develops micro-nutrient deficiencies, particularly iron, manganese, and magnesium. It has a shallow root system and often requires a bit more watering than most other tropical fruits. A heavy mulch will shade the soil and help prevent evaporation of water around the plant.
The grumichama usually produces big clusters of small, 1-inch white flowers from early spring. The fruit matures about 4 to 5 weeks later and is usually dark purplish in color and 1 to 1½ inches in diameter. The flesh is white with one large seed in the center and has an excellent quality reminiscent of the northern sweet cherry. The fruit can be eaten fresh, or used for jams and jellies.
Most grumichamas in the nursery trade are grown from seed and seedlings produce acceptable quality fruits, but generally take about two years before they reach a bearing size. Seed germinate quickly, about one month after planting, so if you propagate grumichamas from this year's crop or seed, you can have a good-sized shrub by the end of the year.There are some varieties that produce larger fruit and these can be propagated by cuttings or by grafting.
Grumichamas have few serious pest problems and little spraying is needed once they have been established in the landscape. Grumichamas are not highly salt-tolerant, so keep them protected from strong winds. Young plants can be injured by the cold, but mature plants will tolerate temperature down to 26°F without serious difficulty. For the best growth and fruiting, plant the grumichama in full sun or light shade and fertilize lightly but frequently with a good quality fruit tree type fertilizer.
The grumichama can grow well in a container and can be fruited quite easily in a 6 or 8-inch container. So even if you don't have an outside growing area you can still enjoy this delicious tropical fruit.
There are no named varieties of grumichama at local nurseries; however, there are a lot of differences in size and fruiting characteristics and you should try to collect seed from superior plants.
DATE: January 1989
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