Jaboticaba is a slow growing shrubby ornamental evergreen shrub or small tree, reaching a height of 4-12 meters.Branches emerge close from the ground, spreading to a wide, dense, round, and symmetrical crown.Flowers and fruits form low in the trunk and branches.Flowers are small, staminous, white, and cauliflorous.Fruits are globose, bright green when immature to dark purple or shiny black when fully ripe.The pulp is translucent white to light pink surrounding 1 to 5 round or flat light brown seeds.Seeds were send from Washington to the Philippines in 1924, possibly the Mineira variety that was introduced into California in 1904.

Fruit are edible, usually eaten out-of-hand.Squeezing the fruit between thumb and forefinger causes it to split and the pulp slipping into the mouth.- Fruit used for making jelly and marmalade; juice used for making beverage.Aborigines made wine of the jaboticabas.Jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora) fruit plants in Kerala is now available in our farms.