Nance

Byrsonima crassifolia

Pungent little yellow cherries for chicha and preserves; tough on poor dry soil.

Type: small tree · tropical and subtropical food plants
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 25 ft tall, 15 ft wide
Harvest: April to August
From: Mexico to Brazil
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, pollinators, wildlife.

Native to: Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean, Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.

The story

Nance grows wild in the savannas of Mexico and Central America and was eaten by the Maya, who also used the bark to tan hides; Costa Ricans and Panamanians eat the small yellow fruit fresh, in chicha and in rum, and its smell, like strong cheese, is the smell of a Guanacaste summer.

Planting

Full sun, poor, acid, sandy or rocky soil, heat; it grows where little else will. Plant a seedling in the wet season; a small tree to 20 feet.

Growing

Water young trees, then little. No pruning needed. It tolerates fire and drought.

Harvest and use

Cherry-sized yellow fruit ripens in the rainy season and drops; gather from the ground, eat fresh, preserve in syrup or alcohol, or make into ice cream.

What to watch for

Frost; nothing else much.

See if Nance fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.

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