Peumo

Cryptocarya alba

An evergreen of the Chilean hills whose red fruit Mapuche cooks soak in warm water until creamy.

Type: canopy tree · native and wild plants
Hardiness: zones 8 to 10
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 50 ft tall, 30 ft wide
Harvest: October to November
From: Central Chile
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, wildlife.

Native to: Southern Cone & Patagonia. Hardy in zones 8 to 10.

The story

Peumo is a tree of the Mapuche heartland in central Chile, a laurel cousin with glossy leaves that smell sharp and spicy when crushed. Its name is on towns and valleys across the region.

Planting

Sun or part shade and well-drained soil in a climate with wet winters and dry summers.

Growing

Water young trees through their first summers. It is slow and long-lived.

Harvest and use

Small red fruits in autumn. They are never eaten raw: the tradition is to steep them in warm, not boiling, water until the thin flesh turns soft and buttery.

What to watch for

Frost when young. Water that is too hot turns the fruit bitter.

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More native and wild 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