2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Mariana plum (Latin Bouea macrophylla) - a fruit crop representing the Sumach family, which is a close relative of the mango. Other names are gandaria, maprang (as the Mariana plum is called in Thailand).
Description
The Mariana plum is an evergreen tree, the height of which can sometimes reach twenty-five meters. The leathery, dark green leaves of the Mariana plum are characterized by a lanceolate-elliptical shape, with their width varying from five to seven centimeters, and their length from thirteen to forty-five centimeters.
The small flowers of the Mariana plum are equipped with four yellowish-greenish petals, located in panicles from four to twelve centimeters long, right in the leaf axils. This culture usually blooms from June to November, and it takes from six to nine months to ripen the fruits from the moment of their ovary.
The fruits of the Mariana plum are slightly elongated or rounded drupes, the diameter of which ranges from two to five centimeters. And the length of the fruit in some varieties sometimes even reaches ten centimeters. Unripe fruits are always green and contain milky sticky latex, while ripe fruits are yellow or orange. Depending on the variety, the taste of the mariana plum can vary from sweet to sour, but in all cases it tastes very much like a mango. The consistency of the pulp resembles a plum, and it also gives off a little bit of turpentine. In this regard, these fruits are often called mango-plums. At the same time, outwardly they are somewhat similar to apricots. And in the very center of their pulp there is a single reddish-brown, smooth and rather large seed with an edible kernel (the taste of such nucleoli is usually bitter).
The weight of one fruit can reach one hundred grams. As for the yield of the entire tree, one tree can often produce up to two hundred kilograms of fruit.
Where grows
Mariana plum is a fruit crop native to Southeast Asia (from West Java, North Sumatra and Malaysia). And now huge gardens with this plant can be found in Thailand, as well as in Indonesia.
Application
Both the pulp of the mariana plum and its leaves can be eaten fresh. In addition, the fruits are widely used for making a wide variety of marinades and cooking compotes, and young leaves of the plant are often added to salads. And unripe fruits are often pickled or added to all kinds of sauces (especially often in sambal and curry).
Very dense tree crowns, perfectly tolerating formation in the form of pruning, make it possible to grow the Mariana plum for landscape construction or for landscaping purposes (mainly to create shade). It is quite possible to grow it as a container crop.
Contraindications
The only contraindication that keeps you from the desire to feast on the Mariana plum can only be an individual intolerance.
Growing and caring
The Mariana plum is found mainly at an altitude of eight hundred and fifty meters above sea level. This amazing plant simply adores a humid warm climate, so the most optimal average annual temperature for its growth and fruiting will be twenty-four degrees. The Mariana plum grows very well on numerous low-lying plains.
The harvest of the fruits of this culture in different countries is harvested from March to June. The Mariana plum usually begins to bear fruit in the sixth or eighth year after its germination, and the grafted specimens are able to bear fruit already in the fifth or sixth year of their life. By the way, this plant is excellently grafted to mango!
Recommended:
Plum
Plum (Latin Prunus) - a popular fruit crop; shrubs or trees of the Pink family. Characteristics of culture Plum is a stone fruit crop that, with proper care, gives large and high-quality fruit yields. The crown of the plant is spreading, as a rule, spherical or ovoid, some varieties have thorns on the branches.
Plum Pests. Bark Beetles
Bark beetles occupy a special niche on the drain. Their narrow profile - eating up the dense tree shell that carries vital nutrients to the plant - makes them the most dangerous. Hidden under the upper layers, they easily endure the harsh winter conditions. What species can be found on the plum?
Plum Pests. Sawflies, Woodcutter
Many pests on the plum give gardeners a lot of trouble. There are many tricks and methods of dealing with them, but only safe ones should be used on the personal plot. Today we will consider sawflies, woodcutter weevil
Plum Pests. Weevils, Scale Insects
Plum in the garden is a bait for many pests. Everyone wants to taste the sweet pulp of berries, juicy leaves. How to protect it from harmful insects? We will answer this question in more detail
Diseases And Pests Of Plum: Plum Gall Mite
The plum gall mite causes irreparable harm to the plum with thorns. However, almonds and peaches often suffer from its invasions. Near the bases of the shoots of the first and second years, reddish-brown galls gradually form, subsequently acquiring the same shade as the shoot bark. Gradually growing together, the galls fold into rather large growths, inside which ticks quickly settle. Often, in the habitats of these harmful insects, the yield is halved. And with the secondary