Tangerine Myrtle

We’re excited to offer this extremely rare fruiting shrub we’re calling ‘Tangerine Myrtle’. Myrceugenia ovata, sometimes known as Chequén or Chin-Chin, is a gorgeous plant in the Myrtaceae family related to more well-known plants like Pineapple Guava, Chilean Guava, and Luma. This shrub has vibrant peach colored new growth with a distinct citrus like aroma when crushed. Radiant white flowers in summer give way to edible, orange berries with a unique flavor. Evergreen, pointed leaves give this medium sized plant a formal appearance. Bronze colored bark with time dulls to gray contrasts sharply with the vibrancy of active growth. Expect this shrub to top out at about 8 feet in height with a columnar appearance. Very limited quantity. Cold hardy to zone 8a and above.

Here's one of many wonderful Chilean members of the Myrtaceae family that deserves much more attention. I bought this as an impulse purchase from Heronswood a long time ago, but now it's become one of those things I'm really glad to have. I just like the look of it: it reminds me of a softer version of Luma apiculata. As a young plant it is very graceful with softly hairy leaves. In time it produces showy white flowers, which are followed by berries that sound rather exciting, as someone has recently passed along this description to us: “Its fruits are sweet and the aroma reminiscent of tangerine.” The funny thing is, my big one in the ground has never flowered or fruited, but tiny cuttings of it are just flowering this year. Maybe it needs to be a little stressed, or in full sun, to flower and fruit? As with many super-rare plants, we just don't know, but would love to find out. Culture and adaptability are probably about the same as Luma apiculata. No damage to an established plant from a prolonged freeze with a minimum of 12 °F - below that, we don't know what happens yet.