Malpighiaceae
How to identify a peanut butter fruit tree
Bunchosia glandulifera
A small orange-red fruit with soft flesh often described as tasting like sweetened peanut butter. Frequently confused in the nursery trade with the related Bunchosia argentea, sold under the same common name.
Field marks
We have not written genus field marks for Bunchosia yet. Start with the leaf: note whether leaves are opposite or alternate, simple or compound, smooth-edged or toothed, and whether a torn leaf bleeds sap. Our tree identification by leaf guide walks through each feature.
Check a photo
Photograph one whole, mature leaf from above, or a flower or fruit, and the identifier will return ranked matches. If peanut butter fruit is the top result, the field marks above are your second opinion.
Leaves, flowers, fruit, or bark — closer and sharper identifies better. Your photo is identified and discarded, never stored.
Where and when you will find it
- Origin / cultivation history
- Tropical Americas
- USDA zones
- 9b-11
- Climate
- Tropical to subtropical, adaptable shrub or small tree.
- Fruiting season
- Season not documented; check local sources
- How often grown
- Rare in cultivation
A tree growing well outside the climate above is more likely to be a look-alike.
Growing it: seedling or grafted?
A young tree with no fruit is harder to identify and easy to mislabel, so it helps to know how long it takes to reach fruiting age and how it is usually propagated.
- Years to first fruit
- Seedling ~2-3 yrs
- Propagation
- Seed, cuttings.
Relatives in the Malpighiaceae family
Close relatives share many features, so these are the most likely mix-ups.
Map your peanut butter fruit trees
CanopyTwin keeps every tree on a map with its species, cultivar, photos and history, and counts flowers and fruit from survey photos. It is built for orchards, nurseries and collectors of tropical and rare fruit.
More identification guides: free plant identifier · tropical fruit tree identifier · fruit tree identifier · all species guides