Common Name: Yellow Mombin

General Information

Yellow mombin is an elegant, deciduous tree with a dense, spreading crown; it can reach an eventual height of 25 metres, though 10 - 15 metres is more likely. The bole can be 60cm or more in diameter with a thick, corky bark[, , , ].
The plant is widely cultivated in tropical areas, especially the Americas, for its edible fruit[, ]. It also has a range of medicinal applications and provides various commodities. The tree is showy in flower because of the very numerous and large panicles of small white flowers, and also when the red fruits are developing - it is sometimes grown for ornament and to provide shade[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam; C. America - Panama to Mexico.

Habitat

Occurs in a great variety of humid tropical climates, often in secondary vegetation derived from evergreen lowland forest or semi-deciduous forest[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant grows best in the subhumid and frost-free tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,000 metres[, ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 21 - 27°c, but can tolerate 13 - 35°c[]. The plant is severely damaged by frost[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 600 - 2,800mm[]. It can succeed in areas with widely distributed rainfall, or with a marked dry season[].
Requires a sunny position[]. Prefers a medium to heavy, well-drained, fertile soil[]. Plants are not too fussy over soil, not needing very fertile conditions[]. However, very poor soil, or shallow land, is unsuitable[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.3 - 8[].
A fast-growing tree, easily reaching a height of 3.5 metres within 2 years from seed[].
Fruiting usually starts when seedling trees are about 5 years of age, although well-kept cuttings may start fruiting earlier[, ]. Some ripe fruit can be found on the tree during most of the year[].
Plants produce a deep taproot when young and also have a shallower root system near the surface when older[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. Pleasantly acid, the fleshy fruit is eaten raw or cooked with sugar[]. It is also used for making jams, ice cream etc[]. Juices improve with keeping overnight as the mild astringency of the fresh fruit disappears[]. Unripe fruits are pickled and used like olives[]. The dull light orange to yellow or brown ovoid fruit is 30 - 40mm long and 20 - 25mm in diameter[].
There is great variation in fruit quality from region to region, some being sweet and pleasant and others quite disagreeable in flavour[].

Young leaves - cooked and used as a vegetable[]. The shoot tastes like cassava and can be eaten raw or boiled[].

The seeds can be eaten[].

When fresh water is unavailable, water from the roots of this tree can be drunk[].
The sap from the roots has been drunk in place of water when the latter was not available[].

Medicinal

Both the bark and flowers are used in folk medicine to make cure-all teas for digestive tract ailments, lower back pain, rheumatism, angina, sore throat, malarial fever, congestion, diarrhoea, urethritis, metrorrhagia, and as a contraceptive[].

The bark is used in a remedy for gonorrhoea, to treat diarrhoea, coughs and colds, haemorrhages. stomach-aches and to alleviate fatigue[]..
Plant extracts exhibit antibacterial properties, and a decoction of the bark or root bark is considered antiseptic[].

The roots are regarded as febrifuge[]. An infusion is used to treat dysentery[].

Leaf decoctions are used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, colds, fevers and gonorrhoea[, ]. The leaves are also used in an abortifacient preparation[].
A decoction of the leaves and young stems is used as an eyewash in ophthalmia[, ].

The flowers are cardiac and stomachic[]. A decoction is used in the treatment of laryngitis, ophthalmia and children's diarrhoea[].

The fruit is mildly laxative[]. It is stewed and eaten to cure diarrhoea[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is occasionally planted to provide shade for coffee plants[].
It is sometimes utilized for living fence posts[].

Other Uses

Ashes from the roots have been used in making soap[].

The heartwood is cream to buff in colour; it is not demarcated from the sapwood. The texture is medium to coarse; the grain straight to slightly irregular; lustre is medium; there is no distinguishable odour or taste. The wood is light in weight, soft; it is somewhat durable, with a low resistance to attack by decay fungi and insects, and is particularly prone to blue stain. It air dries rapidly, but develops moderate warp and slight checking. It is easy to work and generally finishes smoothly, though fuzzy grain may develop in some operations. The trunks are occasionally used for dugouts and the stems for posts, boxes, matches, general carpentry, tool handles, millwork, utility plywood, and furniture components. Logs need to be promptly processed to minimize deterioration from insect attack[, , ].
Its hardness, density and light colour make the tree useful for wood pulp. The resulting paper has good resistance to tension and tearing but a poor reaction to folding[].
The wood is suitable for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - Fresh seeds germinate well. Seeds germinate within 35-75 days[].
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a semi-shaded position in individual containers. A high germination rate can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 20 - 40 days[]. Seedlings develop rapidly and they should be ready to plant out less than 6 months later[].
Quite large cuttings of wood from the previous season or older, often 50-100 cm long and 5-10 cm thick[].

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