Pourouma cecropiifolia aka Amazon Grape

Pourouma cecropiifolia is an evergreen tree in the nettle family, Urticaceae. Common names include Amazon grape, uvilla and uva del monte. Kew lists its native range from Honduras into southern tropical America. Other sources focus on its range in the western Amazon. It grows in rainforest on land that seldom floods. People gather its fruit from wild trees and grow it in the Amazon basin.

The tree grows fast and forms a low, dense crown. Garden references give a height of 49 feet (15 m). They list a spread of about 23 feet (7 m). Some trees reach 66 feet (20 m), though many stay smaller. The straight trunk measures about 0.7–1 foot (0.2–0.3 m) across. It keeps its leaves throughout the year. Its size and dense crown give it a place in tropical food gardens.

Male and female flowers grow on separate trees. Grow both sexes to obtain fruit and seed. Young trees may start to bear fruit at three years old. The fruit grows in clusters and turns purple or blue as it ripens. Each fruit can reach about 0.13 feet (0.04 m) across. A large seed sits within sweet, juicy, white flesh. The taste recalls grapes. People eat the fruit fresh or cook it. They also use it for wine, jam and jelly.

This tree needs a hot, humid climate and cannot withstand frost. Sources place it in tropical lowlands and at higher sites. Those sites reach about 3,281 feet (1,000 m) above sea level. It grows in full sun or light, broken shade. Give it moist soil that drains well. Loam and clay suit it, and wild trees grow on fertile clay. It accepts mildly acid, neutral and mildly alkaline soil. PFAF lists USDA zones 10–12. Sow ripe seed promptly in a sunny seedbed. Fewer than half may sprout, with emergence taking three to five weeks.

The fruit is its main garden crop, but the wood has uses too. Its light, soft wood is easy to shape but lacks strength and lasting power. People use it for boxes, toys, linings and plywood. It also supplies pulp for cellulose. Traditional medicine uses warmed bark as a poultice for hard boils. This reported use does not establish its safety or effect. The sources list no known hazards, but provide no detailed toxicity assessment.