Edible Plants of the World

Mabolo, Velvet apple

Mabolo, Velvet apple

A tropical and subtropical plant. It suits the hot humid tropical lowlands. Mature trees can withstand light frost for short times. Young trees do not tolerate low temperatures. It is better to have trees in sheltered places protected from cold winds. Slightly acid, moist and free draining soils are best. It can grow in sun or light shade. It cannot tolerate salt. Plants grow naturally in the Philippines. It is common and widely distributed in the forests of the Philippines. It has become established wild in the bush in the Gazelle Peninsula of Papua New Guinea. It grows from sea level to 200m altitude in Taiwan. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.

Also known as:

Bilayati gab, Bisbul, Buah choklat, Buah lemak, Buah mantega, Buah mentaga, Buah sakhlat, Butterfruit, Camagong, Chalta, Hong nhung, Kadiba, Kadiba-thi, Kamagong, Marit, Persimo, Persimonio, Pohon bisbul, Tabang, Talang, Tayok-te, Yi se shi

Synonyms

Edible Portion

Where does Mabolo grow?

Found in: Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America, China, Cook Islands, Cuba, Guiana, Guyana, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, PNG, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Singapore, South America, St Lucia, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad, United States, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies

Notes: There are about 485 species of Diospyros mostly in the tropics.

Status: The fruit are popular and widely used and sold. It is a cultivated food plant. At present only of minor importance in some coastal areas of Papua New Guinea. It is better suited to Papua New Guinea than the Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki ).

Growing Mabolo, Velvet apple

Cultivation: They are cultivated for the fruit popularly known as mabalo. Trees are mostly grown from seed. Plants are normally grown from seed. A spacing of 5 m is needed. Trees should be left unattended prior to flowering. It is possible to do grafting and air-layering.

Edible Uses: The fruit is eaten fresh or made into jellies or juice. The fleshy portion of the fruit is eaten raw when ripe. The hairs and skin are removed.

Production: A slow growing tree. It may take three years for seedling trees to be large enough to transplant. Fruiting is not normally seasonal. Fruit ripening takes 2-4 months from flowering.

Nutrition Info

per 100g edible portion

Edible Part Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Iron (mg) Vitamin A (ug) Vitamin c (mg) Zinc (mg) % Water
Fruit 50 0.8 - - - - 77

Mabolo, Velvet apple Photos

Mabolo, Velvet apple Mabolo, Velvet apple

References

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