Sapotaceae
How to identify a miracle fruit shrub
Synsepalum dulcificum
The small red berry is nearly flavorless on its own, but its miraculin glycoprotein temporarily binds taste receptors so sour foods — lemons, vinegar — taste sweet for 15-60 minutes afterward. A popular novelty plant sold for 'flavor-tripping' tastings.
Field marks
We have not written genus field marks for Synsepalum 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 miracle 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
- West Africa
- USDA zones
- 10b-11
- Climate
- Tropical, prefers acidic soil; more shade-tolerant than most fruiting trees and often grown as a container or understory shrub.
- Fruiting season
- Season not documented; check local sources
- How often grown
- Uncommon in cultivation
A shrub growing well outside the climate above is more likely to be a look-alike.
Growing it: seedling or grafted?
A young shrub 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/cutting 2-4 yrs
- Propagation
- Seed (must be fresh — short viability); cuttings.
Relatives in the Sapotaceae family
Close relatives share many features, so these are the most likely mix-ups.
- Mamey sapotePouteria sapota
- SapodillaManilkara zapota
- CanistelPouteria campechiana
- AbiuPouteria caimito
- CaimitoChrysophyllum cainito
- LucumaPouteria lucuma
Map your miracle fruit plants
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