The Jabuticaba

The Jabuticaba, or Brazilian Grape Tree is one of the most awesome fruit trees I've ever seen. They've been around for who knows how long but I've only just found out about them and I want a few for my yard so badly! Pictures and info below is from Wikipedia.
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The Jabuticaba (also called Brazilian Grape Tree, Jaboticaba, Jabotica, Guaperu, Guapuru, Hivapuru, Sabará and Ybapuru) is a fruit-bearing tree native to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. The fruit is purplish black, with a white pulp; it can be eaten raw or be used to make jellies and drinks (plain juice or wine).

The fruit tree (named jabuticabeira in Portuguese) has salmon-colored leaves when they are young, turning green posteriorly. It is a very slow growing tree which prefers moist, lightly acidic soils for best growth. It is widely adaptable, however, and grows satisfactorily even on alkaline beach-sand type soils, so long as they are tended and irrigated. Its flowers are white and grow directly from its trunk in a cauliflorous habit. Naturally the tree may flower and fruit only once or twice a year, but when continuously irrigated it flowers frequently, and fresh fruit can be available year round in tropical regions.

The jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora (Mart.) O.Berg. [Myrtaceae]) is a small tree native to Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil grown for the purple, grape-like fruits it produces. Traditionally, an astringent decoction of the sun-dried skins has been used as a treatment for hemoptysis, asthma, diarrhea, and gargled for chronic inflammation of the tonsils. The fruit is 3-4 cm in diameter with one to four large seeds, borne directly on the main trunks and branches of the plant, lending a distinctive appearance to the fruiting tree. It has a thick, purple, astringent skin that covers a sweet, white, or rosy pink gelatinous flesh. Common in Brazilian markets, jaboticabas are largely eaten fresh; their popularity has been likened to that of grapes in the US. Fresh fruit may begin to ferment 3 to 4 days after harvest, so they are often used to make jams, tarts, strong wines, and liqueurs.
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So as you can see, these trees are great and since I love exotic fruit they're another to put on the menu. Now all I have to do is find a rare fruit tree grower in Ohio...this may take a while. *grumble*

~Shara