Tropicals, Woody > Syzygium > Syzygium cumini > Syzygium cumini
Syzygium cumini
Java Plum, Jamun, Jambolan, Malabar Plum
Origin: South-east Asia and India.
Mike's
Opinion
"
The fruit of this plant is loved by many for its sweetish sour taste. The fruit also carries many health benefits. It is a fast-growing tree that can live up to 100 years. It is considered invasive in some regions of the world.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Myrtaceae |
| Genus |
| Syzygium |
| Species |
| cumini |
| Category |
| Tropicals, Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 8 - 12 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Grow under glass |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1b - H5 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 25 - 37 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 10 - 40 |
| Height |
| 25 - 30 m |
| Spread |
| 11 - 15 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Jamun is a tall, handsome, fast-growing, and hardy evergreen tropical tree which is valued for its fruit and timber. It also has ornamental value as an avenue tree and promising therapeutic properties. It can grow up to 35 metres tall and is long-lived. Leaves are aromatic and shiny. The fruit is sweetish sour in taste and has multiple health benefits. |
| Landscape |
| This tree is used as a windbreak as it is quite wind-resistant. Its aromatic and shiny foliage makes it an excellent ornamental tree. In India, it is grown for shade and its fruit. Coffee growers use Jamun trees to shade the coffee crop. It is also an economical tree for its fruit, which has excellent medicinal properties. |
| Cultivation |
| It requires a tropical or sub-tropical climate for successful growth. As it is a hardy crop, it can also thrive in marshy and neglected lands. Jamun can generally grow in all kinds of soils; however, deep, well-drained loamy soil is best for its optimum growth and fruiting. Avoid heavy clays or light sandy soils. The optimum pH is near neutral. It is usually resistant to waterlogging and saline conditions. |
| Shape |
| The tree has upright growth. It is a tall tree with a dense crown and large canopy. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| Pests |
| Jamun tree is susceptible to various insect pests such as whitefly, leaf-eating caterpillar, bark eating caterpillar, Jamun leaf roller and leaf webber. The other pests include squirrels, parrots, crows and other birds. Anthracnose is a disease that causes leaf spots and die-back in Jamun trees. As far as disorders are concerned, flower and fruit drop can affect the yield of the fruit. |
| Habitat |
| S. cumini prefers moist locations and will tolerate waterlogging, thus is commonly found on riverbanks, but it can also survive on drier sites once established. In its native range, it is commonly cultivated and thus found in and around homesteads and agricultural land. In the Pacific where it has proved most invasive, it is generally a more lowland species such as in Fiji, but may be found up to 700 m Hawaii and has naturalized in inland forests in Fiji. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| The bark is rough on the lower part of the trunk with cracks and flakes. It is also discoloured or dark-grey at the base of the tree. However, the bark turns smooth and light-greyish on the upper side of the trunk. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Leaf buds are borne in clusters and are elongated, globular, small, dark green and are about 4 cm. Fruit buds are light green, round, formed in clusters that are very small individually measuring 2-4 mm. |
| Leaf Description |
| Leaves are simple, oblong-ovate to elliptical and are tapering at tips. They are arranged oppositely on the stem and can be 5-25 cm long and 2.5-10 cm wide. Young leaves are pink and turn green as they mature. Leaves are glossy, leathery, and dark green on the upper side; however, they are lighter in colour on the bottom with a prominent yellow midrib. The leaves are aromatic when crushed with a turpentine-like smell. |
| Flower Description |
| S. cumini tree flowers from March-April. The flowers are borne in clusters and are small (4-6 cm). They are fragrant, with 4-5 petals that are white initially, turning pink afterwards. The flowers lack stalks. The calyx is funnel-shaped and sheds the petals fast, leaving only stamens behind. |
| Fruit Description |
| The fruit is oval to elliptic measuring 1.5-3.5 cm. It is green when unripe, turning light-magenta and finally dark-purple or blackish. The fruit tends to turn the tongue purple when consumed. The epicarp of fruit is smooth and glossy. The pulp is very juicy and edible. It tastes acidic to sweetish. The fruit encloses one large seed, oblong in shape and measures 4cm. |
| Colour Description |
| The bark of the tree is discoloured at the base and turns light-greyish higher up. The leaves are pink when young and turn glossy, dark green when mature. The flowers are white initially, changing to pink afterwards. The fruit is green when immature and turns deep purple or almost black when it matures. The seed of the fruit is greenish or brown. |
| Texture Description |
| S. cumini is a finely textured tree. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Notable specimens of Jamun are found in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and in herbarium of Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew in Richmond, UK. |
| Propagation |
| Jamun can be propagated by both sexual and asexual methods of reproduction. The Jamun tree is commonly propagated through seed. The Jamun seeds do not show dormancy, hence can be used fresh. Seeds remain viable for 3 months after extraction from fruits. It is usually recommended to treat seeds with Bavistin before sowing to protect trees from soil-borne diseases. The seeds can be sown in flat nursery beds and they begin to germinate in 10-15 days. The seedlings become ready for transplanting after one year. Various vegetative methods of propagation are practised on the Jamun tree. T-budding and patch budding can be successfully used to produce a commercial crop of Jamun. The Jamun seedlings which are one year old and have attained 10-4 mm of thickness are used as rootstock. The success rate is higher in T-budding than patch budding. Inarching is not as successful in producing the commercial crop. The graft union is made between scion and stock of almost 1-2 years old and of matching thickness. The union takes about 6 weeks to complete. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| The fruit is usually eaten raw after shaking it with salt. Squash and syrup are prepared from good quality fruit. The fruit is also used for the preparation of jams, jellies, vinegar, and pickles. Brandy, wine, and distilled liquor called ‘Jambava’ are prepared from fermented fruit. The fruit syrup is beneficial in curing diarrhea. The bark of the plant contains tannins and carbohydrates which are helpful in the treatment of dysentery. The seeds of the plant contain glycoside which possesses anti-diabetic properties. The fruit's pulp and seed lower the blood glucose levels and delay diabetic complications. The fruit is also used for treating ailments like cough, inflammation, and ringworm infections. Blisters in the mouth, cancer, heart troubles, colic, digestive complaints, piles, pimples, and stomach aches can also be treated with different parts of the plant. Medicines prepared from the plant act as a liver tonic. |
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