Borojoa patinoi

In Colombia's Pacific lowlands it's called the fruit of love, and its pulp makes the famous "jugo del amor", the juice of love. The fruit is dense, tart and bittersweet, and part of the culture and traditional medicine of the Emberá communities of the Chocó. A small, patient tree: the fruit takes more than a year to ripen and is harvested when it drops on its own.

It comes from the rainiest forests of the Americas, so it enjoys the high humidity and abundant rain of our area. It tolerates heavy, acidic soils (pH 4.5–6.5). There are male and female plants: you need both for fruit. It starts bearing at around 3–4 years.

The brown pulp is very dense and acidic, with a sweet aroma. It goes into smoothies and juices, and is made into jam, compote, sweets, ice cream and even wine. A little goes a long way.

In Colombia it has a reputation as a tonic and restorative, and is well known for its reputed aphrodisiac effect. It is reported to be rich in B vitamins and phosphorus.

A climax species of the low stratum: it's at home under the shade of taller trees, as in its native forest. Its modest size lets you plant it densely, at 1–2 m, filling the productive understory of the system.