Gardening with Tropical Fruit

The Dovyalis

By Gene Joyner, Extension Agent
Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service

Dovyalis is native to Ceylon and there are many species that are found most having very sour fruit which is used for jellies and jams. Hybrids have been made between several of these and one, a cross between Dovyalis abssinica and Dovyalis hebecarpa have produced a form which some people call tropical apricot.

This was developed in Florida and the fruits are about one inch in diameter with a purplish red skin at maturity and many small seeds. Tiny greenish-yellow flowers are produced throughout the year and most plants do not produce perfect flowers which means they will be all male or all female so both sexes must be planted together to insure a good fruit set.

The fruit is produced in large quantities and can be eaten out of hand, but more often is used for jams, jellies and similar purposes. It also makes an excellent juice.

Trees are large shrubs getting about 20 or 25 feet at maturity and often older branches are armed with sharp spines. Pale green lancelet leaves generally are 3 to 4 inches in length and trees grow rapidly often 5 to 7 feet a year when young. Some people have used this plant in the landscape as a hedge plant, but it’s more often grown as a multi-stemmed shrub.

Trees have few problems with weather conditions, but young trees will be damaged at below freezing temperatures although they recover from the lower portions of the plant. Close to coastal areas trees are damaged by strong salt wind, but in protected locations they can be grown close to the ocean front. The Dovyalis makes a great container plant when small, too, for people that don’t have a lot of outside growing areas.

Plants are easily propagated by cuttings or air layering. Seedlings generally produce sour inferior fruit.

Because of it’s rapid growth in the landscape, regular pruning is required to keep the plant contained and also producing large quantities of fruit. Some years large numbers of fruit are attacked by fruit fly, but in some locations this has not been a major problem.