Those Red Berry Trees

[cloudhopper]

Does anybody know the name of the tree that has all the red berries fruiting about now? They're found all over the country, usually isolated by the roadside but never in an orchard, and grow quite fast. The pulp is mildly sweet but has a subtle flavor I quite like. It seems like they would make a good preserve too...

[toptuan]

Does anybody know the name of the tree that has all the red berries fruiting about now? They're found all over the country, usually isolated by the roadside but never in an orchard, and grow quite fast. The pulp is mildly sweet but has a subtle flavor I quite like. It seems like they would make a good preserve too...

I believe you are describing a "Tah-Kaw" tree. My Thai friend brought over two 18" saplings about nine months ago, telling me, "These will give you shade, very quickly." OMG, in 9 months, they've grown higher than my house roof (17-18 feet/5-6 meters). It's unbelievable. And, I now have the little red berries (about as large as a small marble, right?) but didn't have the courage to see if they were poisonous or not! Apparently you survived. The berries were preceded by small white blossoms about 1/2" to 3/4" across.

My two former "saplings" have nearly merged together. The house is dwarfed/hidden behind them in only nine months of growth. Incredible.

The leaves/branch, close-up. Same tree as yours?

Same berry?

Edited April 1, 2007 by toptuan

[chownah]

In the north we call it Tha Kobe which means frog's eye...some day I want to make a preserve and call it Frog Eye Jam....the kids will love it!!!!

[toptuan]

I think it's the same name, here, Chownah, I just misrepresented the Thai pronunciation in my spelling. Your "kobe" is not like "Kobe, Japan" but more like "kawb". With the "aw" sounding like "awkward." Right?

[chownah]

I think it's the same name, here, Chownah, I just misrepresented the Thai pronunciation in my spelling. Your "kobe" is not like "Kobe, Japan" but more like "kawb". With the "aw" sounding like "awkward." Right?

Yeah, I think so. Pronunciation varies...your in central and I'm in north..."aw" sounds about right but to my ear around here its more of an "o" sound like when someone says "bowl" or "Ohio". and less like "aw" in "awful" or "bawl".....or maybe sort of inbetween these two. And Kobe, Japan has two syllables I think (Koh Bay?) while as your transliteration shows very clearly there is only one syllable.

I thought you meant Kaw like the Thai word for the bird called a crow and I even asked my wife if she had ever heard of this fruit being called a "crow's eye"...but of course she had not.

Edited April 2, 2007 by chownah

[cloudhopper]

Spot on! I first tried them on a small island in PhangNga Bay and been eating em 4-5 years now. I'm going to hire some kids to gather up the berries and try some fruit leather or something. As already noted, they grow fast with no care and another plus is the pulp seems fairly sweet even before the skins turn fully red so not too much picking skill should be needed. Not everyone seems enamored with the taste but I think it's really unique sort of a cross between grape and ripe guava...I prefer to spit out the skins.

[WatersEdge]

The taxonomic name is Muntingia calabura,

native to the Caribbean,

Spreads so rapidly that it gained a place in the

Field Guide to the Forest Trees of Northern Thailand.

even though it is not native to Thailand

It is called Jamaica Cherry, or Singapore Cherry

If well watered and carefully trimmed, it will provide a total umbrella shade canopy

I had one in my previous house yard a little over two years old with a radius of nearly 4 meters,

reaching a height of over 5 meters

Does anybody know the name of the tree that has all the red berries fruiting about now? They're found all over the country, usually isolated by the roadside but never in an orchard, and grow quite fast. The pulp is mildly sweet but has a subtle flavor I quite like. It seems like they would make a good preserve too...

[Beardog]

The taxonomic name is Muntingia calabura,

native to the Caribbean,

Spreads so rapidly that it gained a place in the

Field Guide to the Forest Trees of Northern Thailand.

even though it is not native to Thailand

It is called Jamaica Cherry, or Singapore Cherry

If well watered and carefully trimmed, it will provide a total umbrella shade canopy

I had one in my previous house yard a little over two years old with a radius of nearly 4 meters,

reaching a height of over 5 meters

Does anybody know the name of the tree that has all the red berries fruiting about now? They're found all over the country, usually isolated by the roadside but never in an orchard, and grow quite fast. The pulp is mildly sweet but has a subtle flavor I quite like. It seems like they would make a good preserve too...

Does anyone know if these saplings or trees are available in the Pattaya-Bang Sare area?

Thanks Beardog

[chownah]

My wife says that they grow from seed and if she's right then you should be able to find alot of free starts by looking around established trees.....FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST, THANK GOD ALMIGHTY THOSE STARTS ARE FREE AT LAST!!!

[WatersEdge]

They do grow very readily from seed.

They won't sprout in the shade though,

they have to have bright sun to germinate.

If you crush a ripe fruit in your fingers,

you will see tens of thousands of tiny seeds

If you plant that in nice dirt you will have to thin the crop

You will find them in the nearest open place

a short distance from the original tree

It should not be necessary to grow from seed

when they are so prolific in the wild.

The taxonomic name is Muntingia calabura,

native to the Caribbean,

Spreads so rapidly that it gained a place in the

Field Guide to the Forest Trees of Northern Thailand.

even though it is not native to Thailand

It is called Jamaica Cherry, or Singapore Cherry

If well watered and carefully trimmed, it will provide a total umbrella shade canopy

I had one in my previous house yard a little over two years old with a radius of nearly 4 meters,

reaching a height of over 5 meters

Does anybody know the name of the tree that has all the red berries fruiting about now? They're found all over the country, usually isolated by the roadside but never in an orchard, and grow quite fast. The pulp is mildly sweet but has a subtle flavor I quite like. It seems like they would make a good preserve too...

Does anyone know if these saplings or trees are available in the Pattaya-Bang Sare area?

Thanks Beardog

[Beardog]

Thanks to all I wound up with 3 Tha Kobe trees. One getting huge & 2 smaller ones that are getting bigger!

the owner of the land behind me had a lapse in judgement & allowed the potatoe farmer she was renting land to to knock down the Rai & 1/2 of forest behind where our house was to go.

Am I glad for all the shade trees we put in & the Tha Kobe is a wonderful shade tree, that you get some good sweet fruit from.

I never did get the seeds to take ....the only seeds that haven't grown so far! The corn plot is next. Thanks for the awesome Tha Kobe post

[Somtham]

Thanks to all I wound up with 3 Tha Kobe trees. One getting huge & 2 smaller ones that are getting bigger!

the owner of the land behind me had a lapse in judgement & allowed the potatoe farmer she was renting land to to knock down the Rai & 1/2 of forest behind where our house was to go.

Am I glad for all the shade trees we put in & the Tha Kobe is a wonderful shade tree, that you get some good sweet fruit from.

I never did get the seeds to take ....the only seeds that haven't grown so far! The corn plot is next. Thanks for the awesome Tha Kobe post

A few things to watch out for when planting these trees. I would not plant them close to a structure. The roots are not to deep and we've had several get blown over in high winds. Also, the termites seem to like the root system. We've lost two to termites. And definately do not plant them anywhere near where you park your car. The birds love the berries and the bird shit is like epoxy filled with seeds. It'll destroy the paint on your car and it's a bitch to clean off.

Although the Thai word is similar in sound to frog's eye, it is not called frog'e eye. It is more like "tah cope" with an American phonetic as opposed to "dta gob".

rgds

[Beardog]

Thanks for the heads up on the shallow root system, I hope none of the trees succumb to getting blown over-Is there any way to strengthen the root system or do you think rocks around the base might help. I already had a clue on the bid crap. I made a lot of money in the U.S. painting cars & trucks that parked around birds.The bird crap eats the enamel or lacquer down to the primer & must be removed immediately to keep your paint good.

I haven't seen termites on the property yet, but that sure does not mean their not ever present!

Thanks for the advise Somtam

[peekint]

Another common name for the tree is "Manila Cherry"

The Thai name is actually ตะขบ, not frog eye ตากบ, though when people say it in the North it sure sounds like that!

I think you can plan on a longevity of about 10 years for these trees before they start losing limbs or falling over. The root system is shallow, weedy, and prone to decay and infestation (like termites). We had our first rather large one fall over into our pond after about 5 years in a very strong monsoon. Shoots came up from the roots and there was a full grown tree in its place after 3 years. Termites made very short work of the stump.

The fruit is a favorite of kids in the North, who suck on it and spit out the seeds and skin. They also attract all sorts of birds (the trees, not the kids). Our South American (silent) ducks are crazy about them - they run to the tree every morning when they are let out of their pen in order to clean up any fruit that fell overnight. The tree is over a pond, and when it is windy, the fish hang out under the tree and eat the falling fruit. All in all, it's a great tree to have around if you like wildlife.

I can't imagine ever having to hunt for seedlings. They propagate like wild guava - that is, rat and bird droppings. Just pick up fruit off the side of the road, pick a sunny spot, give is a shallow burial (maybe cover with a net until they come up so the birds don't eat the fruit!) and there you are.

I'll be interested to hear if anyone successfully made jam with these. I don't know if they have enough pectin?

[jts-khorat]

I can't imagine ever having to hunt for seedlings. They propagate like wild guava - that is, rat and bird droppings. Just pick up fruit off the side of the road, pick a sunny spot, give is a shallow burial (maybe cover with a net until they come up so the birds don't eat the fruit!) and there you are.

I'll be interested to hear if anyone successfully made jam with these. I don't know if they have enough pectin?

I had so far absolutely no result growing them from seeds in the ripe fruit; the FAO thinks that they have to go through the stomach of birds or fruit bats first, so scraping the dropping together would be the better method?

An Indian university study suggested those trees should grown in the midst of orchards to further minimize the damages to commercial fruits from birds etc.

[Beardog]

I can't imagine ever having to hunt for seedlings. They propagate like wild guava - that is, rat and bird droppings. Just pick up fruit off the side of the road, pick a sunny spot, give is a shallow burial (maybe cover with a net until they come up so the birds don't eat the fruit!) and there you are.

I'll be interested to hear if anyone successfully made jam with these. I don't know if they have enough pectin?

I had so far absolutely no result growing them from seeds in the ripe fruit; the FAO thinks that they have to go through the stomach of birds or fruit bats first, so scraping the dropping together would be the better method?

An Indian university study suggested those trees should grown in the midst of orchards to further minimize the damages to commercial fruits from birds etc.

Actually I have had none grow from seed either. But if you bare the bark with a stone or knife on one of the branches close to the tree end & wrap shredded coconut around it & wrap it in heavy plastic ( like the plastic that a case of coca cola comes in) & tie both ends- allowing enough room to supply water to the roughed up surface, it will root.after 3 weeks you can cut the branch(close to the tree (when the roots are entwined around the coconut husks ) Just plant in the ground using decent soil {although they seem to grow in anything well} We started with 3 & now have 15 or so. The best shade tree in the world. Quick to grow Tasty berries & like Toptuan said they grow nice & large. if you prune them regularly they not only look great but yield more fruit & denser foilage. especially when building a house ....instant mega shade & they look sweet !

[Lickey]

All fruit seeds are surrounded by a glutinous/gelatine mass in the fruit, this must be removed and the seed dryed before planting,

This is the way i do Papaya, empty all seeds into a calendar, place calander over a large bowl, with water running onto the seeds, knead with fist for 10 mins or so, then put seeds on a cloth in the sun, after 2 hours, or when the cloth is dry, roll palm of hand over seeds, you will see the husks seperate from the seeds, another day in the sun, they are ready for planting, I plant in a light soil in the black plastic pots, then put a small cube of papaya on the top to make them feel at home, ive had a 99% sucess rate with this method.

As for the tiny seeds in a red berry, Mrs says to use a motar and pestle, break up the berries, add water, if any seeds float, they still have a husk on them, drain water and keep, motar again, water again, check for floating seeds, if you are happy you have enough not floating, drain water and keep, Sun dry the seeds for a day or so, plant a few in a black plastic pocket and water with the water you have saved from the pulping.

Try to use a light soil, prefably waste from under a fruit tree, I used tamarind tree waste mixed with a little of the red clay soil.

Cheers, Lickey..

[Beardog]

All fruit seeds are surrounded by a glutinous/gelatine mass in the fruit, this must be removed and the seed dryed before planting,

This is the way i do Papaya, empty all seeds into a calendar, place calander over a large bowl, with water running onto the seeds, knead with fist for 10 mins or so, then put seeds on a cloth in the sun, after 2 hours, or when the cloth is dry, roll palm of hand over seeds, you will see the husks seperate from the seeds, another day in the sun, they are ready for planting, I plant in a light soil in the black plastic pots, then put a small cube of papaya on the top to make them feel at home, ive had a 99% sucess rate with this method.

As for the tiny seeds in a red berry, Mrs says to use a motar and pestle, break up the berries, add water, if any seeds float, they still have a husk on them, drain water and keep, motar again, water again, check for floating seeds, if you are happy you have enough not floating, drain water and keep, Sun dry the seeds for a day or so, plant a few in a black plastic pocket and water with the water you have saved from the pulping.

Try to use a light soil, prefably waste from under a fruit tree, I used tamarind tree waste mixed with a little of the red clay soil.

Cheers, Lickey..

Thanks for the tip Lickey .I think I tried every method except this one you mentioned. We have 4 more neighbors around the corner that want some for their yard. I am going to see if I can get them to grow from seed!

[jts-khorat]

As for the tiny seeds in a red berry, Mrs says to use a motar and pestle, break up the berries, add water, if any seeds float, they still have a husk on them, drain water and keep, motar again, water again, check for floating seeds, if you are happy you have enough not floating, drain water and keep, Sun dry the seeds for a day or so, plant a few in a black plastic pocket and water with the water you have saved from the pulping.

Thanks, great tips; will try this right away!