Umbu
Spondias tuberosa
The sacred tree of the sertão: water-storing root tubers carry it through the drought, then sour-sweet green fruit for juice and umbuzada.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 20 ft tall, 30 ft wide
Harvest: July to September
From: Caatinga of northeast Brazil
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: Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
Umbu is called the sacred tree of the sertão. Its roots store water in large tubers that once quenched travellers' thirst, and its fruit is eaten across the caatinga as umbuzada.
Planting
Full sun in well-drained, sandy or stony ground. It is built for drought and should not sit in wet soil.
Growing
Very slow to establish. Grafted trees fruit sooner. Water young plants occasionally in the first dry season, then leave them alone.
Harvest and use
Green-yellow fruit ripens in the rainy season. Eat fresh, or cook with milk and sugar into umbuzada, jam and juice.
What to watch for
Overwatering rots the root tubers. Seedlings take many years to fruit; choose a grafted plant if you can.
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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