Guabiyú

Myrcianthes pungens

A slow, handsome myrtle with sweet purple fruit like an outsized blueberry; mind the needle-tipped leaves.

Type: small tree · fruit trees
Hardiness: zones 8 to 10
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 25 ft tall, 15 ft wide
Harvest: July to August
From: Uruguay, northern Argentina, southern Brazil and Paraguay
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, wildlife, pollinators.

Native to: Southern Cone & Patagonia, Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Hardy in zones 8 to 10.

The story

Guabiyú is a Guaraní name. The tree grows along the rivers of Uruguay, northeastern Argentina and southern Brazil, and is one of the native fruits Uruguayan growers are now bringing into gardens and markets.

Planting

Sun or part shade and moist, fertile soil. It takes light frost.

Growing

Water regularly while young. It is slow and may take six or more years to fruit.

Harvest and use

Dark purple fruit in midsummer, sweet with a thick skin, eaten fresh or made into jam and liqueur.

What to watch for

Each leaf ends in a sharp spine. Fruit flies in warm regions.

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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