Myrtaceae
How to identify a Malay apple tree
Syzygium malaccense · also called pomerac, jambu bol (Indonesian/Malay)
Oblong, deep-red to pink fruit with crisp, juicy, mildly sweet flesh and a rose-like fragrance. A traditional dooryard tree across the Pacific and Caribbean.
Field marks
These features are typical of the genus Syzygium, so they help confirm you are looking at the right group; the fruit and the details below separate the species.
- Leaves are large, simple and opposite.
- Flowers are mostly stamens, like small brushes. Wax apple and Malay apple fruit are bell- to pear-shaped with a waxy skin.
Check a photo
Photograph one whole, mature leaf from above, or a flower or fruit, and the identifier will return ranked matches. If Malay apple 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
- Malay Archipelago, spread across the Pacific by Polynesian voyagers
- USDA zones
- 10b-11
- Climate
- Tropical humid lowland.
- Fruiting season
- June and July (typical, Northern Hemisphere)
- How often grown
- Uncommon in cultivation
Fruit is the most reliable way to confirm an identification, so June and July is the easiest window. Outside it, rely on the leaves and the overall habit. 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 4-6 yrs; grafted 2-4 yrs
- Propagation
- Grafting, air-layering, seed.
Relatives in the Myrtaceae family
Close relatives share many features, so these are the most likely mix-ups.
- JaboticabaPlinia cauliflora
- Suriname cherryEugenia uniflora
- GrumichamaEugenia brasiliensis
- PitangatubaEugenia neonitida
- GuavaPsidium guajava
- Strawberry guavaPsidium cattleyanum
- Camu camuMyrciaria dubia
- Wax appleSyzygium samarangense
Map your Malay apple 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