Rose myrtle

Rose myrtle (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa), also called downy myrtle or hill gooseberry, is an evergreen shrub of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), 1–2 m tall (sometimes 4 m), much branched, with finely hairy young shoots and leaves. Leaves are opposite, ovate, with three prominent longitudinal veins and a hairy underside. Flowers have five pink to magenta petals and many stamens, blooming mainly in summer with a faint scent. The fruit is a round or oval berry, 1–1.5 cm long, purple-black when ripe with the calyx persisting at the tip, edible, sweet with astringent notes. The species is native to South and Southeast Asia, growing wild in populations on bare, acidic, poor hills, and was introduced to Hawaii where it became invasive.

Ripe sim berries are eaten fresh and are best known through sim wine, a speciality of Phu Quoc and several central provinces; the fruit is also made into jam, smoothies and soft drinks. It is rich in anthocyanins (purple pigments), tannins, vitamin C and antioxidants and helps digestion; in folk medicine the fruit and leaves are used to treat diarrhoea and settle the stomach. Tolerating poor acidic soil, light and drought, rose myrtle is used to green bare hills and curb erosion; its flowers are a bee forage. Fruit is mostly gathered from the wild between July and September.