Campomanesia lineatifolia
Paililo
Campomanesia lineatifolia, Pailio
On my recent trip to Colombia I was incredibly stoked to be able to find this species. There’s just something about Myrtaceae that are incredibly attractive. We first saw one tree with unripe fruits and as we moved to different communities, we saw a couple of trees that towered over us at around 30 feet or more. The fruits were littering the ground and the guide mentioned that only kids eat the fruit and they are not often used otherwise. That’s gotta be saying something, right? The candy of the jungle for sure. Fruits fall when absolutely ripe and were in good condition for eating right off the ground.I was surprised to find this really bright lemonade flavor without the citrus acidity, making them an absolute pleasure to eat. I sat and ate handfuls of the fruit while everyone milled around picking up whatever they could find. I pecked around in the scrub and managed to get a hand full to add to the pot. When we found another individual, I grabbed seeds of this individual as well to ensure that I had genetic diversity; as many species in peoples collections lack genetic diversity.
This species is a winner for me as it’s delicious, a beautiful tree, and surprisingly cold hardy. It really does blow my mind that we can see a plant species from a tropical lowland region be taken to a temperate region that experiences frosts and survive with few complications. This is definitely a great option for a zone pushing rare fruit grower.
Family: Myrtaceae
Name: Campomanesia lineatifolia
Common Name / Native Name: Pallilo
Range: Northern part of South America, Collected outside of Leticia Colombia
Sun: Full sun/part shade
Height: ~30 feet
Width: ~20 feet
Foliage: Large deeply veined foliage, deep green with a slightly lighter color on the underside
Flower: Decently sized flowers, bright white with bright yellow stamens
Fruit: Fruit about the size of a golf ball, yellow and soft when ripe
Soil Type/ pH: Uncertain
USDA Climate Zones: 9b+
Cold Hardiness: Seems to not be damaged by frosts in areas with a canopy over head. Defoliation occurred but it looked great throughout the winter with no die back apparent in early spring.
Edibility: Absolutely delicious. A bright yellow fruit that gives way to a sweet and somewhat tart pulp. The flavor is reminiscent of a sweet lemonade. Sucking on the seeds to remove pulp will result in a spicy flavor tone that will tickle your throat and make you cough. Once you learn how to eat em, it’s hard to stop.
Age to maturity: Undetermined
Sources:
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:592044-1
https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Campomanesia+lineatifolia