Common name: African pear
Other common names: African plum, Bush butter, Butter fruit, Eben tree
Description
This evergreen tree from tropical Africa grows up to 30 meters tall in the wild but rarely exceed 15 meters in cultivation. It has a straight, round trunk with smooth, greyish bark and a densely foliaged, rounded crown. Flowers are brownish and borne in clusters with female and male flowers on different trees.
Fruit are medium-sized, cucumber-shaped with shiny dark blue to purple skin at maturity.
Use
Fruit yield and edible oil
Growing
Propagation is from seed which lose there viability quickly and should be planted within two week after removal from the fruit. African Pear is adapted to humid tropical regions with annual rainfall between 1500 an 3500 mm and air temperatures generally in the range of 15 to 35 C.
Problem feature
Is not reported to be an invasive or high risk weed species