Red Hog Plum Live Plant – 1 Ft Tall Mombin Tree – Spondias purpurea – Ship in 6-inch Pot

Overview

Cultivate your own tropical paradise with the exquisite red hog plum live plant. This particular offering features a robust 1-foot tall specimen of the mombin tree care, botanically known as Spondias purpurea. Originating from Central America, the Red Hog Plum is cherished for its distinctive fruit and ornamental appeal. This live plant arrives carefully nurtured in a 6-inch pot, ensuring a healthy start in its new home. The tree is known for its unique growth habit, with fruit and flowers appearing directly on the branches, making it a fascinating addition to any plant collection. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a curious beginner, this tropical gem promises to bring a touch of the exotic to your landscape or patio. Get ready to enjoy the rich flavors and vibrant presence of this remarkable spondias purpurea.

The red hog plum live plant is not just a fruit producer; it’s also a conversation starter. Its common name, Mombin, hints at its delicious, often tangy fruits that are enjoyed fresh, pickled, or in various culinary preparations. As a deciduous tree, it undergoes a beautiful transformation, shedding its leaves in winter and bursting into bloom in spring, followed by its highly anticipated fruit. This tropical fruit tree is an excellent choice for those looking to expand their edible garden or simply appreciate the beauty of a unique fruiting specimen.

Key Benefits

The red hog plum live plant offers a multitude of benefits, making it a prized addition to any garden or collection. Its unique characteristics contribute to both aesthetic appeal and practical uses:

• Delicious Edible Fruit: Enjoy the sweet and tangy fruits of the hog plum fruit, perfect for fresh consumption, pickling, or use in various dishes. The fruit is a culinary delight, especially in East Indian cooking.
• Unique Ornamental Value: The Mombin tree’s distinctive growth habit, with flowers and fruit appearing directly on its branches, provides a unique visual appeal that stands out in any landscape.
• Drought Tolerance: Once established, the spondias purpurea exhibits good drought tolerance, making it a resilient choice for various climates, though consistent watering aids in better fruit production.
• Fast Growth Rate: This tropical fruit tree grows relatively quickly, allowing you to enjoy its benefits sooner. With proper mombin tree care, it can reach its mature size efficiently.
• Low Maintenance: While it benefits from care, the Red Hog Plum is generally low-maintenance, making it suitable for gardeners of all experience levels.
• Attracts Pollinators: The flowers of the red hog plum live plant attract bees and other beneficial pollinators to your garden, contributing to a healthy ecosystem.
• Cultural Significance: The fruit holds cultural significance in many regions, adding an interesting narrative to your home garden.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your red hog plum live plant ensures a healthy, productive tree. This tropical species, Spondias purpurea, thrives in specific conditions. For optimal growth and fruit production, provide ample sunlight. The Mombin tree prefers full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. If growing indoors or in a container, ensure it’s placed in the brightest spot available, ideally near a south-facing window. Outdoors, choose a location that receives generous sun exposure throughout the day. Proper mombin tree care involves understanding its light, water, and soil requirements.

When it comes to watering, the red hog plum live plant prefers consistently moist but not waterlogged soil, especially during its growing season. Allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out between waterings. Reduce watering significantly during its dormant winter period when it sheds its leaves. Well-draining soil is crucial to prevent root rot. A rich, loamy soil amended with organic matter is ideal. For potted plants, use a high-quality potting mix designed for tropical fruit trees. The Red Hog Plum is sensitive to cold temperatures and can be damaged at 27°F. It is best suited for USDA zones 9-11 outdoors. In colder climates, it can be grown in containers and brought indoors during winter or treated as an annual. Fertilize during the growing season (spring and summer) with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer or an organic fruit tree fertilizer to encourage healthy growth and a bountiful hog plum fruit harvest. Watch out for common pests like aphids or scale, and address them with organic pest control methods if necessary. Pruning can be done to maintain shape and size, and to remove any dead or diseased branches.

Size & Details

This offering is for one red hog plum live plant, which measures approximately 1 foot tall from the base of the plant to the tip of its tallest stem. It is shipped securely in a 6-inch nursery pot, providing a well-established root system ready for transplanting. The plant features a noticeably bigger trunk, indicating a robust and healthy specimen. The average mature height and width of a spondias purpurea can reach up to 15 feet by 15 feet when grown in optimal outdoor conditions, though container-grown plants will remain smaller. The tree goes dormant in winter, shedding its leaves, and begins to flower as spring breaks. Fruit development typically follows within 45-60 days after flowering. The varieties available are red and yellow, offering a choice in fruit color. This tropical fruit tree is a fantastic investment for long-term enjoyment and harvest.

The Mombin tree has a moderate growth rate, and with proper mombin tree care, it will quickly establish itself. The fruit and flowers are produced directly on the branches, offering an interesting visual display. This red hog plum live plant is a young, vigorous specimen, poised to grow into a productive and beautiful addition to your garden or patio. Ensure you provide adequate space if planting in the ground, considering its potential mature size.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: This particular red hog plum live plant is 1 foot tall when shipped. Mature Mombin trees (Spondias purpurea) can reach an average height and width of 15 feet by 15 feet when planted in the ground in suitable climates.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: The red hog plum live plant is shipped in a 6-inch nursery pot, ensuring its roots are well-protected and established for transit and immediate planting upon arrival.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The red hog plum live plant is a tropical fruit tree best suited for outdoor planting in USDA Zones 9-11. In colder regions, it can be grown in a large container and brought indoors during winter.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This spondias purpurea thrives in full sun, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal growth and fruit production.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: The red hog plum live plant is generally considered low to moderate maintenance. With consistent watering, good drainage, and proper sunlight, it is relatively easy to care for, especially for those with some experience with tropical plants.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your red hog plum live plant will arrive as a healthy, 1-foot tall specimen with a bigger trunk, shipped securely in a 6-inch pot, ready for planting.
• Q: Can I eat the fruit? A: Yes, the hog plum fruit is edible and widely enjoyed. It can be eaten fresh, pickled, or used in various culinary applications, including East Indian cooking.
• Q: How long until it blooms and fruits? A: After the tree breaks dormancy in spring, it typically flowers, and the hog plum fruit follows within 45-60 days. The time to first fruit production can vary depending on the plant’s age and growing conditions.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time to plant your red hog plum live plant is in spring or early summer, after all danger of frost has passed, allowing it ample time to establish before cooler weather.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: The mombin tree care requires protection from frost. It can be damaged by temperatures below 27°F. If you live outside USDA Zones 9-11, you will need to protect it from cold or grow it as a container plant indoors during winter.