Syzygium legatii
| Mountain waterberry (Syzygium legatii) | |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Syzygium legatii |
| Common names | Mountain waterberry; mountain umdoni; white umdoni; water pear |
| Genus | Syzygium |
| Family | Myrtaceae |
| Order | Myrtales |
| Habit | Evergreen tree, usually 3–8 m tall and occasionally reaching 11 m |
| Flowers | White to cream and sweet-scented; October–January |
| Fruit | Juicy, oval or pear-shaped, purple to black when ripe, with one seed |
| Native range | Northern South Africa, Eswatini and tropical Africa |
Syzygium legatii, also called mountain waterberry, mountain umdoni, white umdoni, or water pear, is an evergreen southern African fruit tree. It is usually 3–8 m tall, can reach about 11 m, and bears juicy purple to black, single-seeded fruit.[1] The accepted name is Syzygium legatii; Syzygium guineense subsp. legatii is a documented synonym.[2]
Description[edit | edit source]
The tree has a rounded crown and remains evergreen. It occurs in northern KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and Eswatini, including quartzite ridges, river beds, and mist-belt slopes commonly around 1,000–1,800 m. It can tolerate periods of flooding in its native settings, while its roots are described as non-aggressive and suitable for container culture.[1][3]
The SANBI Red List places Syzygium legatii in the Least Concern category and retains the synonym Syzygium guineense subsp. legatii in its taxon record.[4]
Cultivation[edit | edit source]
Soil and water[edit | edit source]
Use a well-drained loamy soil or a similarly open growing medium. The native settings include river beds and slopes, and the species can survive flooding, but a container should still drain freely rather than remain waterlogged. Apply water consistently while the plant is establishing, then adjust irrigation to the medium's drying rate and the local seasonal rainfall. SANBI specifically lists well-drained loam, fertilizer, and container culture for this species.[1]
Sun and humidity[edit | edit source]
Full sun is the documented cultivation exposure. The species also occurs on mist-belt slopes and along river habitats, so an exposed planting should not be allowed to desiccate during hot, dry weather. Its slow growth and non-aggressive roots make it a practical container subject while it is young; choose a container with ample drainage and increase its size as the root system develops.[1][3]
Seasonal changes[edit | edit source]
The tree remains evergreen. Flowering is recorded from October through January, while ripe purple-black fruit and seed are collected around April and May in the South African growing calendar. Treat those months as a locality-based guide: flowering and harvest timing can shift with elevation, rainfall, and local temperature.[1]
Propagation[edit | edit source]
Propagate from ripe fruit collected when the skin is purple to black. Remove the flesh and sow the seed immediately; the seed should not be dried, because viability may last only about one day after the flesh is removed.[1]
PlantZAfrica's species account gives a practical nursery procedure: use a medium of one part river sand to three parts potting soil, place the seed under shade net, and water twice a week. Germination is described as taking about two weeks. Pot the seedlings after they have produced two sets of true leaves, then harden them off before planting out. These are account-level instructions rather than results from a controlled propagation trial, so the timing should be treated as a practical guide rather than a universal schedule.[1]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]
The flowers are white to cream, sweet-scented, and recorded from October to January. They are described as bisexual, with bees associated with pollination. The fruit follows later in the season and is oval or pear-shaped, juicy, and single-seeded; mature fruit is purple to black. April–May is the recorded collection period for ripe fruit and seed in the South African calendar.[1][3]
Harvest fruit when the skin has reached its mature purple-black color. The fruit is described as edible, and a good flavour is reported, but that is a limited quality description rather than a guarantee that every tree or harvest will taste the same.[1][3]
Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]
The ripe fruit is eaten as a fresh fruit and contains one seed. Its juicy texture and purple-black maturity color make color and softness useful harvest cues, although the available descriptions do not provide a standardized maturity test or storage schedule.[1]
A laboratory study tested acetone leaf extracts of Syzygium legatii against diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli using microscopy and chemical analysis. That in-vitro leaf-extract result does not establish fruit safety, human treatment, or a dietary dose, so it should not be used as a food or medicinal recommendation.[5]