Just last weekend I bumped into a beautiful fruiting plant that I didn’t know what it was. Thanks to Google Lens, which I used to identify the fruit via image capture. It was Java Apple Tree which I never knew and I found out about it for the first time. It also grows in my city, Kaduna, Nigeria.
This plant or shrub is native to an area that includes the Greater Sunda Islands, Malay Peninsula and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but introduced in prehistoric times to a wider area and now widely cultivated in the tropics. The tree is moderately resistant to winds and tolerates cool, coastal conditions.
It’s common names are java apple, wax apple and wax jambu. It is much often confused with rose water apple and Malabar plum. It 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.
Harvesting water apple is no different from harvesting guava, red apples, and mango. It is highly perishable and bruise easily. They must be freshly picked to be crisp.
The fruit is only moderately interesting eaten out-of-hand, and is more often used in jellies and jams or preserved in combination with other fruits of more pronounced flavor. It is also cooked with sugar to make a dessert. When cooked with custards or puddings, they impart a rose flavor. The flowers can also be candied.
As a I had passionately wanted to become a plant dad, I now have dried and planted about 10 seeds as most of the plants are propagated through seed sprouting. Also, as i know some plants can grow new roots and branches through grafting a scion (cutting some branch and planting) I had cut out 15 good branches off. It takes about four year to start fruiting ?
It is not exactly sweet like oranges and apple but it has a taste in between the sweet and sour curve but I don’t know the exact word to describe it but it’s like pear and also a bit watery like watermelon.
I hope to, thank youuuuu!! Though It takes 4 years to start fruiting.
Yes, jambu is one of its common names. It’s called different names as it varies with regions. As a sweet tooth, i am already in search for the jam flavor for Java Apple already
I know this fruit and we have known it all our lives as kids in Nigeria but never heard the name. Thank you for this post. Do you know if anyone in your area knows it by that name? It will be interesting to find out what name they know it as? We have always called it apple simply it’s good to place a proper name on it now. Thanks
I am also intrigued to find out but from the people I got this from, they also called it Apple. I found out that it’s ‘Java Apple’ and it’s not a common local thing here so we don’t have local name to it.
I have never seen it before or maybe I have but didn’t pay much attention to the environment around me until lately that I took interest in It.
That’s really interesting and exciting! I never knew this Java apple existed so it was really cool to read more about it. I’m really curious what you will do with the fruit.
You mentioned it’s more used for jams, rather than eating it straight as it is? It’s amazing all the different fruits there are all over the world. I can’t wait to try something different.
It’s such a nice fruit and it is much often eaten when it’s fresh. But it is highly perishable like most other fruits so during harvest especially in large numbers it is processed into jams, jellies and so on.
It is also cooked with deserts, custard or puddings as it imparts the soft rose flavor it has. I hope you can get to try it, I enjoy trying things differently too.
It’s pretty fascinating to find out how widely spread some plant species are. Please tell us more on where your locality is and what you use it for. Cheers!
but it’s like pear and also a bit watery like watermelon.
it’s good to place a proper name on it now. Thanks
I’m mostly glad that my little post could help!