I remember picking and eating the fruit right off the trunk of this tree in Brazil when I was little.

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I grow a Jaboticaba tree in Odessa, Florida. I bought it in a three-gallon pot and it took 12 years to get a decent crop of fruit on it, so it is a very slow grower. Watering frequently will help the fruiting process. At 15 years old, my tree now stands about 10 feet tall and produces fruit two or three times a year. The grapelike fruit grows directly on the trunk and large branches, making it a standout in the landscape. The fruit skin is heavy with tannin and should be discarded. Each fruit contains one or two seeds, which also should be discarded. I like to eat them out of hand, but they also make a tasty jelly. I have not encountered any insect or disease problems and the tree will take temperatures down to at least 28 degrees without damage.

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i purchased a 3-gal in the spring of 2014. By the end of Summer 2015 I had 6 fruits. A week later it flowered, at least 20 flowers, but it was too hot and it didnt get enough water, so the flowers dried up.

They grow much faster when given long hours of daylight and lots of sun. although they need a lot of water when doing this, and a lot of organic matter in the soil. Do not let this plant's soil totally dry out. It is NOT drought tolerant.

A small amount of molasses helps with iron and other minerals. I add fulvic acid and use it as a foliar spray as well.

I think the reason most people dont get fruit for 5 years or more is that most people grow them in Florida,
in soil that is mostly sand, with little organic matter, and in containers. Most people tend to feed them chemically.

Mine is in a 5-gal container, but I had used composted coffee grounds and lots of other compost, with a leaf mulch on top, and feed it fish emulsion. I had also given it mycorrhizal fungi, and put some compost worms in the container.

If you have a black container, paint it white. The sun can heat up the soil, killing good microflora, which this species seems to like. I've noticed the same goes for Papaya, starfruit, and jujube as well.

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