Description
Fresh seeds of Eugenia punicifolia, an underutilized edible Brazilian Myrtaceae known as murtinha, cafezinho, beach cherry or field cherry. A small shrub/subshrub with ornamental potential, bee-attracting flowers, and small red edible fruits. Recent studies highlight its fruit as a promising source of carotenoids, lycopene and vitamin C.
Eugenia punicifolia is a fascinating and still underutilized edible Myrtaceae from South America, known in Brazil as murtinha or cafezinho, and sometimes referred to in English as Brazilian field cherry or beach cherry.
This species is a small shrub or subshrub with attractive foliage, white flowers, and small red edible fruits. It has ornamental potential, attracts bees, and can be especially interesting for collectors of rare Eugenias, native Brazilian fruits, Cerrado/Atlantic Forest species, and edible Myrtaceae.
The fruit is edible fresh, and recent research has highlighted Eugenia punicifolia as a promising underutilized Brazilian fruit, with notable levels of carotenoids, lycopene and vitamin C.
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Brazil / South America
Growth habit: shrub to small tree, often compact
Fruit: small red edible berries
Flavor: generally described as sweet, sometimes slightly astringent depending on selection and ripeness
Uses: fresh eating, ornamental plant, bee-attracting flowers, rare fruit collection
Seed type: fresh Myrtaceae seeds — sow as soon as possible
These seeds are part of our May/June pre-sale batch and will be shipped fresh from our USA partner once the batch is ready.
Germination instructions
Sow fresh seeds immediately upon arrival. Use a well-draining but moisture-retentive substrate, such as peat/coir with perlite. Keep warm, ideally around 24–28°C / 75–82°F, with bright indirect light. Do not allow the substrate to fully dry out, but avoid waterlogging.
As with many Myrtaceae, freshness is important. Germination may take several weeks and can be irregular.
Scientific / Nutritional Interest
Recent Brazilian research has highlighted Eugenia punicifolia as a promising underutilized native fruit with remarkable bioactive potential. In a 2023 study published in the Brazilian Journal of Food Technology, the fruits showed high levels of vitamin C, total carotenoids, and especially lycopene, a carotenoid more commonly associated with tomato and other red fruits.
The study reported approximately 74.14 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of fresh fruit, 632 µg/g of total carotenoids, and 504 µg/g of lycopene, suggesting that this small native Myrtaceae fruit may have strong potential as a functional and nutritionally valuable species.
For rare fruit collectors, this makes Eugenia punicifolia especially interesting: it is not only an edible and ornamental Brazilian species, but also a little-known fruit with documented nutritional value.
Reference:
Braga et al. 2023 — Bioactive compounds of Eugenia punicifolia fruits, Brazilian Journal of Food Technology.
https://www.scielo.br/j/bjft/a/FY75TtLVjH5VcwbGMVP5hzz/
https://www.alice.cnptia.embrapa.br/alice/handle/doc/1154643
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