We have a terrible problem right now. Our wax apple tree is ripening hundreds and hundreds of fruit.

Before we moved here, I’d never seen a wax apple. I had heard the name somewhere, but I couldn’t describe the tree or the fruit if I were put on the spot.

Now I’m eating at least a half-dozen of them every day.

The slightly underripe fruit have a flavor similar to a green apple, but the fully ripe fruit is sweet with a hint of a rose-like bouquet on the palate. They retain their crisp, apple-like crunch even at peak ripeness.

The tree itself is quite beautiful and the fluffy white flowers betray their relation to guavas, though you’d never know it by the flavor. The Latin name is Syzygium samarangense, just in case you want to amaze your friends with your grasp of the ancient language of the Caesars.
The tree should grow quite well in South Florida but you’d probably have to use my south wall trick to grow it further north in the state. It’s also good for Southern California and I’ve had a report that it grows in South Texas as well.

There’s a good article with a lot more information on the wax apple here.

Here’s a video on this tree I posted yesterday:

My YouTube channel is approaching 5,000 subscribers. 5,000 was my goal for 2016… and we’re only half-way through the year. Thanks, everyone. I appreciate you sharing the videos and subscribing. I pinky promise not to post another freaky perennial peanut video.

If you’re not a subscriber, please go sign up! I post a lot of informative and entertaining videos on everything from gardening tool reviews to bees to crazy tropical plants and interviews with experts. Plus the occasional song. Just because.

Have a great Wednesday… I’m off down the hill to check on my grain corn!