Ugni molinae

Plant Characteristics

Habit		shrub
Height:	⇕	6 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 6.
Width:	⇔	3 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 3.
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial
Bloom:	❀	early spring, mid spring, late spring, early summer, mid summer, late summer

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	sun
Features:	✓	flowers, edible, fruit
USDA Zones:		8 to 10
Flower features:	❀	white

Scientific Names

Myrtaceae >

Ugni >

molinae >

Ugni molinae (syn. Myrtus ugni, Eugenia ugni) is a shrub native to Chile and adjacent regions of southern Argentina. The Mapuche Native American name is "Uñi", and Spanish names include "Murta" and "Murtilla" ("little myrtle"); and the "Ugni" is also sometimes known as "Chilean guava" (it is related to the Guava, though not closely so; and really is more like a small cranberry).

The Ugni is a shrub from 30 cm to 170 cm tall with evergreen foliage. In some exceptional cases the shrub can grow up to 3 m in height. The leaves are opposite, oval, 1-2 cm long and 1-1.5 cm broad, entire, glossy dark green, with a spicy scent if crushed. The flowers are drooping, 1 cm diameter with four or five white or pale pink petals and numerous short stamens; the fruit is a small red, white or purple berry 1 cm diameter. In its natural habitat; the Valdivian temperate rain forests the fruit matures in autumn from March to May.

It was first described by Juan Ignacio Molina (hence its name) in 1782. It is grown as an ornamental plant.

The fruit ("Ugniberry") is cultivated to a small extent. The usage of the fruit in cuisine is limited to southern Chile where it grows. The Ugniberry is known as "New Zealand cranberry" in New Zealand and marketed as the "Tazziberry" in Australia, but it is not a native plant to these countries.

Read about Ugni molinae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Myrtus ugni, Molina (Eugenia (Ugni, Hook. & Arn. Ugni Molinae, Turcz.). Ugni or Chilean Guava. As usually seen under cult., a shrub 4 ft. high, but in its native habitat it is said to become a tree 100 ft. high: pedicels 1-fld.: berry purple, glossy, edible, with a pleasant odor and taste. Chile; hardy in S. Calif.—-Wood very hard and heavy, much used in Chile for press-screws, and select implements. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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