Surinam Cherry

BY Ken and Bea

The Surinam cherry is a bush or small tree up to 25 feet in height.

(May 2011)

Flowering can occur several times a year. The white to yellow flowers are long-stalked and borne either singly or in clusters of four.

Photo from Wikipedia

Fruiting is generally profuse with trees sometimes fruiting 2-3 times a year. The lobed berry with 5-6 ridges is 1 inch around and the ripe fruit is shiny red to black.

The flesh of the berry is juicy with an acid to sweet flavour.

The Surinam cherry bush though native to Surinam and Brazil, is grown in many tropical countries. The bush is often grown for ornamental purposes and is often used in landscaping as the leaves change from dark bronze to dark green before winter when the leaves turn red and fall off.

May foliage.

Local folks have them in their yards and call it cereza.