Pequi
Caryocar brasiliense
The cerrado's signature fruit: golden, fragrant pulp cooked with rice and chicken. Never bite it: under the pulp is a layer of fine spines.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 30 ft tall, 25 ft wide
Harvest: May to August
From: Brazilian cerrado
Drought-hardy once established
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: Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
Pequi has fed the people of the cerrado for thousands of years. Its fragrant golden pulp is the heart of arroz com pequi in Goiás, and the fruit is protected from felling in several Brazilian states.
Planting
Full sun in deep, well-drained, acidic soil; it is made for long dry seasons and poor ground. Plant young trees at the start of the rains and protect them from fire while small.
Growing
Slow at first, then sturdy. Water seedlings through their first dry season, then leave them be. Trees begin fruiting after about eight years.
Harvest and use
Fruit falls when ripe in the rainy season. Cook the pulp with rice, chicken or beans; it is also pressed for oil. Scrape the pulp off with your teeth, gently.
What to watch for
Never bite into the stone: a layer of fine, sharp spines sits under the pulp and is a classic cerrado accident.
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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