Pouteria alnifolia Fruit Plant

Common Name: Pouteria alnifolia

Botanical Name: Pouteria alnifolia

General Information:

Deciduous tree growing up to 25 meters tall.

Native to central and east Africa.

Harvested from the wild for local use as a source of food, medicines, and wood.

Berry-sized sweet fruits can be eaten raw.

The fruit is a red, globose to ellipsoid berry, 15 - 25mm long, containing a single seed up to 20mm long.

The bole is often twisted and fluted, with small buttresses at the base.

Uses:

Edible: The pulp of ripe fruits has a sweet flavor. Seeds yield oil used for cooking. Leaves are used as food wrappers.

Medicinal: Leaves applied externally to treat yaws, wounds, and conjunctivitis. Bark used in embrocations to treat rheumatism and as an enema for diarrhea in children.

Other Uses: Wood used for construction, implements, walking sticks, canoes, fuel, and charcoal. The heartwood is yellowish-white, fairly hard, durable, and resistant to termites.

Cultivation Details:

Bloom Time/Fruiting: 3 to 4 Years

Maintenance Required: Moderate