Water Apple Red

Water apple, also referred to as watery rose apple or just , rose apple, that goes with the scientific name Syzygium aqueum, is native to South East Asian countries and to certain tropical regions of India.

Commonly reffered to as “Chambakka” or “Pani Seb” in Hindi, “Jambu” or “Panneer Naval” in Tamil, “Jambakka” in Malayalam and “Gulaabijamichettu” or “Gulaabijamikaayalu” in Telugu, this succulent, delicious fruit is popular for its thirst-quenching properties.

Water apple plants naturally thrive in wet, warm and humid climatic conditions, where the soil has rich moisture content. Its native environments include tropical South-East Asian countries namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, India and Sri Lanka. Due to its amazing advantages for enhancing overall health, they are also acclimatised and cultivated in temperate environments of Hawaii, Florida and California in the United States, as well as in southern regions of Australia.

The water apple tree belongs to the Myrtaceae family and grows up to a height of 3 to 10 meters. With a coarse tough deep-brown bark supporting widespread branches, the leaves of this tree have a prominent sheen and are long and narrow. This plant blossoms in the summer months of May through August, with pale green, cream and white flowers in full bloom.

From August through November, upon developing, the fruits are creamy-green in colour (green water apple) and turn a bright pinkish-red once completely ripened (water apple or rose apple). The ripe water apple fruits are bell-shaped, have crimson colored skin on the outside encompassing a white, juicy flesh within. They ooze a mildly pleasant aroma and usually have one or two grey seeds in the interior.