Gowak Fruit Plant (Syzygium polycephalum)

Common Name: Gowak, Gowok

Botanical Name: Syzygium polycephalum

General Information:

Small to medium-sized tree, reaching a height of 8 - 20 meters. Native to Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia.

Edible fruits and young shoots are gathered from the wild for local use. Frequently cultivated in home gardens in Java as a fruit tree.

Ripe fruits can be eaten raw or cooked. Purple fruit with an agreeable sour taste. Highly esteemed for making jelly.

Young leaves and sprouts are cooked and used as a vegetable.

Ornamental Features:

Highly ornamental tree with fruits along its branches.

New growth is pink-purple, and the fruits are dark purple, almost black, and subacid.

Medicinal Uses:

Used for the treatment of sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, thirst, biliousness, dysentery, and ulcers.

Cultivation Information:

Bloom Time/Fruiting: 3 to 5 Years

Maintenance Required: Moderate