Batoko Plum Tree

The Batoko Plum (also known as ramontchi, governor’s plum, or Indian plum) shrub

The Batoko Plum (also known as ramontchi, governor’s plum, or Indian plum) shrub or small tree has a spiny trunk and dark green, alternate, simple, oval leaves attached to drooping branches. The shrub can grow up to 25 feet high. Its fruits are bright red and contain six or more seeds. This plant is a native of the Philippines but is widely cultivated for its fruit in other areas. It can be found in clearings and at the edges of the tropical rain

forests of Africa and Asia. Edible Parts: Eat the fruit raw or cooked. The fruit is very fleshy and has 6 to 10 seeds in layers. The pulp is yellow or white and sweet with an acidic tangy taste. It can be fermented to make wine. The bark, leaves and roots are used in herbal medicine (arthritis, cough, bacterial throat infection, and diarrhea) and as a treatment for snakebites. The wood also serves well for wooden tool handles

A small yet striking tree, the Batoko Plum (Flacourtia inermis) is instantly recognisable due to its pink and reddish young leaves, and its bright red berries that are around 2-2.5cm in diameter. Its leaves also have a distinctive “toothed” margin. The Batoko Plum is grown in certain parts of the world for its berries, which are too sour to be eaten raw, but make good tarts, jellies and jams. This tree is also often utilised in butterfly-attracting gardens and landscapes. It is the host plant for the orange-coloured Leopard Butterfly (Phalanta phalantha phalantha), which is commonly seen flitting around wherever the trees are planted.