Pourouma cecropiifolia

Amazon grape (Pourouma cecropiifolia)
Scientific name	Pourouma cecropiifolia[1]
Common names	Amazon grape, Amazon tree-grape, uvilla[2]
Genus	Pourouma
Family	Urticaceae[1]
Order	Rosales[1]
Native range	Amazon basin, including the Ecuadorian Amazon[2][3]
Growth form	Evergreen tree with a low, dense crown[2]
Climate and site	Hot, humid tropical lowlands; not frost-tolerant; full sun or dappled shade[2]
Mature height	Up to about 20 m; bole commonly 20–30 cm across[2]
Propagation	Fresh seed sown as soon as ripe; germination normally in 3–5 weeks[2]
Fruit and uses	Bluish-ripening edible fruit, consumed fresh or processed[2][3]
Years to fruit	About 3 years, as reported for this species account[2]

Pourouma cecropiifolia is the Amazon grape, an evergreen fruit tree in the family Urticaceae. It is cultivated in the Amazon basin for its edible fruit, which is consumed fresh and processed.^[1][2][3]

Description

This evergreen tree develops a low, dense crown and can reach about 20 m tall, with a bole commonly 20–30 cm across.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Pourouma cecropiifolia is associated with the Amazon basin, including the Ecuadorian Amazon. It is a tree of hot, humid tropical lowlands up to about 1,000 m and is not frost-tolerant.^[2]

Cultivation

Soil and water

The documented soil is fertile clay. A fertile clay soil with regular moisture and adequate drainage is a reasonable cultivation starting point from the species' humid lowland setting; this is a site-management inference rather than a measured acidity or irrigation threshold.^[2]

Sun and humidity

Give the tree a hot, humid tropical site with full sun or dappled shade. It is not frost-tolerant, so protection from freezing conditions is essential.^[2]

Seasonal changes

The evergreen habit suits humid tropical conditions. As a cultivation inference, keep the root zone from drying severely during local dry periods and protect the tree during cool weather.^[2]

Propagation

Sow seed as soon as it is ripe in a sunny seedbed. Fewer than half of the seeds usually germinate, normally within 3–5 weeks.^[2]

The species is dioecious, so a planting intended to produce fruit needs both male and female trees.^[2]

Flowering, fruiting, and harvest

Pourouma cecropiifolia is dioecious. The tree can begin fruiting at about three years, and the fruit ripens to bluish; fruiting age and timing can vary with plant sex and growing conditions.^[2]

Fruit and uses

Amazon grape is valued as an edible fruit gathered in the native range and cultivated in the Amazon basin. The fruit is consumed fresh and processed.^[2][3]

References

• ↑ [1] GBIF species record: Pourouma cecropiifolia.

• ↑ [2] Useful Tropical Plants: Pourouma cecropiifolia.

• ↑ [3] Five Underutilized Ecuadorian Fruits and Their Bioactive Potential as Functional Foods and in Metabolic Syndrome: A Review, Molecules (2024).

Image credits

• File:(Ponrrama cecropivefolia), da Coleção Brasiliana Iconográfica.jpg — 18th-century botanical watercolor associated with Pourouma cecropiifolia, from the Brasiliana Iconográfica / National Library collection; the individual Commons file lists the photographer as Unknown, while a file-page category associates the work with Joaquim José Codina. Public domain (PD-old) as marked on the individual Commons file page.