Cambucí “Juicy Medium-Fruit Lot” (C. phaea) Flying Saucer Fruit (July Pre-Sale)

Description

Cambucí — Campomanesia phaea — is one of the most distinctive and culturally important native fruits of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

This rare Myrtaceae species is famous for its unmistakable flattened, almost flying-saucer-like fruit shape. The fruits usually remain green or yellowish-green even when ripe and are highly aromatic, with a refreshing acidic to sweet-acid flavor profile that makes them especially valued for juices, pulps, sorbets, ice creams, jams, jellies, preserves, and culinary preparations.

Unlike many sweet fruits eaten mostly fresh, Cambucí is especially appreciated as a processing fruit, where its intense aroma, acidity, and juiciness become a real advantage. In Brazil, it has gained renewed interest among native fruit enthusiasts, chefs, small producers, conservationists, and collectors of rare Atlantic Forest species.

This listing is for a fresh seed lot from medium-sized Cambucí fruits, described by our Brazilian source as very juicy and succulent. It is not selected primarily for maximum sweetness, but for freshness, juiciness, seed availability, and propagation value. For growers, this kind of lot can be especially useful because it allows sowing several seeds and selecting the strongest or most interesting seedlings over time.

The fruit is truly unusual: flattened, rounded, and somewhat reminiscent of a small clay pot or a flying saucer. Typical fruits are often around 4 to 6 cm wide, though size can vary depending on the tree, growing conditions, and origin.

The tree is ornamental, productive under suitable conditions, and highly interesting for collectors of Eugenia, Plinia, Psidium, Myrciaria, Campomanesia, and other rare Myrtaceae. It is still very uncommon outside Brazil, and fresh seeds are not always easy to obtain.

This is a fresh July pre-sale seed batch.

BASIC INFO

Species: Campomanesia phaea
Common name: Cambucí / Cambuci / Flying Saucer Fruit
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Fruit color: green to yellowish-green, even when ripe
Fruit shape: flattened, rounded, clay-pot / flying-saucer-like
Fruit size: medium-sized fruit lot; size may vary by tree and growing conditions
Flavor profile: aromatic, juicy, refreshing, acidic to sweet-acid
Main uses: juices, pulps, sorbets, ice creams, jellies, preserves, gourmet preparations
Seed type: fresh seeds
Lot type: juicy medium-fruit fresh seed lot

GROWING NOTES

Sow fresh seeds as soon as possible after receiving them.

Use a well-draining, slightly acidic substrate, such as peat, coco coir, fine bark, perlite, sand, or a light Myrtaceae-friendly seed mix. Keep the seeds warm, bright, and evenly moist, but never waterlogged.

Recommended conditions

Warm temperatures, ideally around 22–28 °C
Bright shade or filtered light for young seedlings
Moist but airy substrate
Good drainage
Avoid strong direct sun on very young plants
Avoid letting fresh seeds dry out completely

Like many native Myrtaceae, Cambucí seeds are best handled fresh. Germination can vary depending on temperature, seed freshness, and local growing conditions.

IMPORTANT

This is a July pre-sale item. Seeds will be organized as part of the upcoming July shipment batch.

We currently have two Cambucí seed lots available: a smaller selected fresh fruit lot, and this larger juicy medium-fruit lot. Both belong to the same rare species, Campomanesia phaea, but come from different fresh fruit batches.