Muntingia calabura aka Calabur Tree

Muntingia calabura grows fast and keeps its leaves year-round. It belongs to the Muntingiaceae family. Other names include Jamaican cherry and Panama berry. Its native range runs from Mexico into tropical South America. Useful Tropical Plants includes the Caribbean in its range, too. It grows in warm, tropical lowlands and on disturbed ground. In Jamaica, it grows in thickets and on limestone banks. These banks drain well.

The plant can form a shrub or a small tree. Useful Tropical Plants lists its height as 30 feet [9 metres]. The wider reported range is 10–39 feet [3–12 metres]. Its short trunk holds a broad crown of spreading branches. The trunk can reach about 0.7 feet [0.2 metres] across. Low branches may reach the ground below the crown. This shape makes it useful for shade and garden display. Give it shelter from strong winds, which can break its spreading branches.

Even young plants can bear flowers and fruit for long periods. Bees visit the flowers. The tree is self-fertile: it can set fruit with its own pollen. The fruit turns red, though some forms bear yellow fruit. Each fruit is about 0.04 feet [0.012 metres] across. Soft, juicy flesh holds many tiny seeds with a yellow tint. The flesh tastes very sweet, with a musky, fig-like flavour. People eat the fruit fresh or cook it in preserves and pies. It also supplies vitamin C. People brew the leaves to make a tea-like drink.

The tree suits warm, tropical lowlands. Reports give its best daytime range as 22 to 32°C. Once established, trees resist drought. Yet the species favours plenty of rain each year. It grows in poor ground and tolerates acid and alkaline soils. Its listed preferred pH range is 5.5–6.5. Young seedlings cannot cope with shade. Seeds need light to sprout. Growers also use half-ripe cuttings or air layering to raise plants. The species may become a weed, so watch its spread.

The bark yields fibre for rope, lashings, and baskets. People use the wood for paper pulp and small woodwork. They also burn it as fuel, which gives off little smoke. Traditional medicine uses flower infusions for headaches, cold symptoms, and spasms. These uses do not prove that such treatments work or are safe. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards for the species. This does not prove safety for every use or for pets.