Garcinia humilis aka Wild Mammee

Garcinia humilis is a tree in the Clusiaceae family. It stays green all year. It can also grow as a shrub or small tree. Kew places its native range from the Caribbean to Guyana. Useful Tropical Plants lists Panama as part of its range too. In the Caribbean, it grows in Jamaica, Haiti, and Trinidad. Its listed synonyms include the name Rheedia lateriflora.

The tree grows about 7–33 feet [2–10 metres] tall. Useful Tropical Plants gives another height: 20 feet [6 metres]. These figures do not show a usual garden size. The tree keeps its leaves all year. It grows in sheltered woods, often over limestone. Records place it at heights of 492–2,953 feet [150–900 metres] above sea level. It also grows in wet forests near Panama’s coast. Kew classes its climate as wet tropical. The supplied sources give no firm advice on growing this taxon. Nor do they say how much cold it can bear.

The yellow fruit has an oval shape. It measures about 0.10–0.13 feet [0.03–0.04 metres] long. A thin skin covers sweet, juicy flesh and large seeds. Each fruit holds two or three of these fleshy seeds. People eat the pulp raw and use it for drinks. They also make preserves from the fruit. Local people gather this tree from the wild for food. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards. This does not prove that all parts are safe. Nor does it prove that the plant is safe for pets.

The tree also yields materials and has recorded uses as medicine. People put its sap on the skin to aid healing. This reported use does not prove a health benefit. Branch nodes, where growth joins the stem, give off scented, wax-like resin. People use this resin in torches. The tree also yields a hard wax. People use its reddish wood for joinery and other basic woodwork. Makers of cosmetics use dried gum-resin from fruit, peel, and seeds. They also use peel extracts in hair and skin products.

Take care with plant names when reading about this species. Useful Tropical Plants doubts reports of crops grown for sale in Australia. It suggests these plants may be other Garcinia species. A Florida extension account calls Bolivian achachairu by this name. This clashes with the warning about names and Kew’s stated range. Its detailed advice on growing may concern a different plant. These disputed records do not show what this taxon needs in gardens.