Candle Fruit Live Plants (Parmentiera Cereifera)

Candlestick/ Parmentiera Native to Panama, Cereifera plants can be found in all of Central and South America. Candle Fruit is an odd-looking, elongated, cylindrical fruit that resembles freshly dipped candles exactly and hangs from the branch. On a single, mature tree, hundreds of fruits can sprout from the white, bell-shaped flowers that are pollinated by moths and bats.

Candlestick fruits are supposed to smell like apples and taste like sugarcane and bell peppers because of their mild, sweet, and sour flavour. They appear waxy but are actually spongy and delicious. The pale yellow flesh is fibrous, spongy, and moist underneath, and it has a lot of little, flat, eatable seeds. These fruits have a slightly juicy, sweet flavour.

Candlestick fruits contain tannins and saponins, which are chemicals that have been found to have antibacterial qualities, and are an excellent source of fibre. They also contain flavonoids, which are antioxidants that can help improve the immune system and reduce inflammation. Along with its fruits, the tree’s leaves were soaked in boiling water to make a medicinal tea that was used to treat ear infections and soothe sore throats.

Common Name: Pale de Cera, American Camburita, Arbol de Vela, and Palo de Velas

Botanical Name: Parmentiera Cereifera

Bloom Time/Fruiting: 5 Years

Maintenance Required: Moderate