Myrtaceae
How to identify a wax apple tree
Syzygium samarangense · also called jambu air (Indonesian/Malay), chomphu (Thai)
Bell- or pear-shaped, waxy pink-red fruit (also white or green depending on cultivar) with crisp, watery, mildly sweet flesh — refreshing rather than intensely flavored. Often eaten fresh with a dip of salt or shrimp paste in Southeast Asia.
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 wax 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
- USDA zones
- 10b-11
- Climate
- Tropical humid lowland, likes consistent moisture.
- Fruiting season
- Season not documented; check local sources
- How often grown
- Uncommon 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 3-5 yrs; grafted 2-3 yrs
- Propagation
- Grafting, air-layering.
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
- Malay appleSyzygium malaccense
Map your wax 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