This hedge is delicious!

I have a few Jaboticabas in my home garden. They are slow growing and reasonably small still, just a couple of metres tall, but that’s as big as I want them to get otherwise the fruits are out of reach. It will be getting a haircut soon.

Other fruit trees I hedge are things like Acerola Cherry (Malpighia emarginata), Grumichama (Eugenia brasiliensis) and Riberry (Syzygium luehmannii). Their dense foliage, shiny leaves, interesting flowers make a great hedge and it means I can better access the fruit.

I really love the idea of making every part of the garden productive and delicious. There are a lot of hedge plants that provide nothing but a screen.  It’s such a great idea to add extra value to it – food, habitat, mulch ….

I really like to eat the fruit of Jaboticaba fresh. I like the pop it makes when you bite into it followed by the burst of sweetness. I typically spit out the thickish skin, which is a little tart tasting, but sometimes I eat that too.

After harvesting the fruit only lasts a few days so depending on the harvest size, it could be necessary to make jam, cordial, wine, tarts or liquer. 

• Jaboticaba responds well to being trimmed.
• Jaboticaba keeps it’s leaves right down to the ground.
• Jaboticaba’s leaves stay looking shiny and welcoming in both the wet and dry seasons.
• It has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

I like Jaboticaba at the entrance to my garden because:

• The plant delineates where the footpath to my house is.
• I see it everyday and can and keep watch for when the flowers are forming – it reminds me to keep an eye out for the fruit.
• I see when the fruit is ripe so I can harvest it before the birds get to it.

 What edible hedges do you/could you eat?

• What plants work best for this in your climate? 
• What is your favourite edible hedge?