Blackberry Jam Fruit Plant (Randia Formosa) is a fruit from Central and South America, especially in Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. It mostly grows wild but is also sometimes planted by local people. This is a rare tropical to subtropical fruit, growing as a small evergreen bushy shrub, usually only 4-5 ft tall in the ground and 3-4 ft in the container. It can be also trained into a miniature tree. The plant is closely related to gardenia and produces 1.5-2″ star-shaped, very fragrant, tubular white flowers that attract nocturnal moths.

Highly fragrant large white flowers give way to amazing little fruits with deep purple to black pulp-filled interiors that taste, sweet and tangy and very reminiscent of blackberry jam. This wonderfully unique plant is related to the gardenia and is easily grown in-ground where temperatures allow or in a container in cooler climates, so it can be protected and brought indoors for cooler temps. This fruit enjoys full or partial sun and acidic soil.

Generally, the plant is fairly easy to grown and can make a container specimen in colder areas. Olive-shaped yellow fruits are woody shelled, about 1″ size and look like small loquats. They can be easily crushed between teeth. The fruit contains two cells with small flat seeds surrounded by sweet black soft pulp tasting like “blackberry jam”. Blackberry Jam Fruit can take both sun and shade. However, in filtered light leaves look healthier and greener. young plants are more sensitive and should be protected from chill winds and frost. Randia formosa is easy in cultivation. The two most important requirements are – acidic soil and good drainage.

Blackberry Jam Fruit Benefits:

• The fresh pulp of this fruit tastes exactly like blackberry jam.
• A 100 g serving of blackberries contains 14 percent of the RDA of fiber.
• It contains high levels of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins.
• Blackberries also contain vitamin A, which serves several functions in the body.

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