Fruit · Medicinal

Capulín

Muntingia calabura L.

Mexico to tropical South America

Fun factDespite the name Jamaica cherry, Kew's World Checklist treats it as introduced in Jamaica; its native range runs from Mexico to South America, including Costa Rica.

A small, fast-colonizing tree of open, disturbed ground, with branches that spread flat and droop, giving the crown a tiered look. Across Costa Rica it grows along roadsides, stream banks, beach edges, abandoned fields and scrubby secondary forest. Its sweet red fruits are eaten by people, birds and bats.

Sourced · see Record tab

Fruit Medicinal Native from Mexico through Central America

Wildacross the estate

FamilyMuntingiaceae

Spanish nameCapulín

Also known asJamaica cherry, Panama berry, Calabura, Singapore cherry, Strawberry tree

Native toNative from Mexico through Central America, including Costa Rica, to Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern Brazil and northwest Argentina; introduced in the Caribbean, Florida, tropical Asia, the Pacific islands and East Africa.

Grows wild across the estate.