Purple Mombin Red Mombin (Spondias purpurea)

Family: Anacardiaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Purple Mombin, Spondias purpurea, is a deciduous tree commonly found in western part of South America. It has a spreading crown and it reaches a height of up to 25 m upon maturity. Its bole can be 30 - 80 cm in diameter. The leaves are pinnate with 7 to 23 leaflets each leaf. The flowers are small, reddish-purple, and produced in large panicles. The fruits are yellow or purplish-red and are oval drupe.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Nuts/Seeds, Leaves

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

flavour resembling a plum. — Fruit - raw or cooked.; Spicy and subacid, the juicy yellow pulp is said to have a flavour resembling a plum.; It is eaten raw or cooked with sugar.; Usually eaten ripe and raw, though children, and even some adults, eat the sour, green fruits.

Habitat & North American Range

Abundant in thickets or open forest, often in second growth, common in fencerows, pastures, and many other situations, ascending from sea level to elevations of about 1,700 metres. (Zone 10)