Wax apple

Wax apple (Syzygium samarangense), also called Java apple or water apple, is a small tree of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) native to insular Southeast Asia. It grows 5–15 m tall with a broad crown, low branching and grey bark. The leaves are opposite, ovate to oblong, smooth and clearly veined. Bisexual flowers are clustered in the leaf axils or at the tips, with many pale-yellow stamens. The bell-shaped fruit has glossy, waxy skin that may be pink, red, green or white depending on the cultivar; the flesh inside is crisp, juicy and white with a mild sweet taste. Fruits usually contain 1–2 small seeds, but cultivars often have few or none. Wax apple prefers a hot, humid tropical climate, is propagated by seed or grafting and begins fruiting after 3–4 years, mainly in the dry season. In Vietnam it is widely grown in the south and in some central provinces.