Araçá-boi
Eugenia stipitata
A small shrub with fragrant, very sour yellow fruit for juice; fruits from two years old.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: part shade to full sun
Size: about 10 ft tall, 8 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Western Amazon
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food.
Native to: Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
Araçá-boi is a Eugenia of the western Amazon, grown in the chácaras of Peruvian and Brazilian river towns for its big, fragrant, sour yellow fruit, which goes into juice, ice cream and preserves across Amazonia.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, moist drained soil, heat, and humidity; a shrub to 10 feet that fruits in two years. Plant seed fresh.
Growing
Water steadily and mulch; prune after harvest to keep it bushy.
Harvest and use
Fruit ripens yellow and soft through the warm months; juice, ice cream and jam. Too sour fresh for most.
What to watch for
Fruit fly and cold.
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More tropical and subtropical food plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home