jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora), photographi

How to Grow Jaboticaba

Plinia cauliflora · Zones 10-12

Jaboticaba is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 10 through 12 and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees, even though the fruit is the prize.

Jaboticaba — the short answer

Jaboticaba: grown in zones 10–12, full sun, pH 5.5–7.

USDA zones
10–12
Hardy to zone 10 — NCSU Plant Toolbox.
Soil pH
5.5–7
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Sun
Full Sun
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Frost-kill temp (growing season)
26°F
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.

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Score Jaboticaba on your exact land.

Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether jaboticaba actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score jaboticaba against your land's real conditions.

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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What Jaboticaba is

Jaboticaba grows as a perennial and reaches around 15 feet at maturity. It blooms white in spring. It's also well suited to containers.

Mature height, bloom period and container suitability: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

How to grow Jaboticaba

Jaboticaba grows in USDA zones 10 through 12. Jaboticaba does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground.

USDA Zones

10-12

Rated hardy to zone 10 by NCSU Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NCSU Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-06).

Soil pH

5.5 - 7

We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Sun

Full Sun

We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Drainage

well (dry spells)

Converted from NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Frost Kill Temperature

26°F

Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.

We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Mature Height

15 ft

We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

  1. Plant it right

    Set jaboticaba in full sun with well-drained soil. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.

  2. Match the soil

    Jaboticaba prefers pH 5.5 to 7. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.

  3. Water steadily

    Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.

  4. Be patient, then harvest

    Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.

Where Jaboticaba thrives

Jaboticaba is hardy across USDA zones 10 through 12. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.

A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 10–12 spans average winter lows from 30°F to 60°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 8 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.

Zones 10–12 highlighted on the USDA national hardiness zone map

Zones 10–12·Where Jaboticaba growsOpen map →

This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Where Jaboticaba stands, state by state

Jaboticaba is rated for zones 10–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at 30 to 40°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 8 more, and 43 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.

The line runs through

8 states

3 of 8 shown

Jaboticaba’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.

Outside zones 10–12

43 states

3 of 43 shown

Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.

State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.

Good to know

Jaboticaba offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Before you harvest jaboticaba, know your soil

Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant jaboticaba for food. Our free screen reads 8 federal source types across roughly 950K indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.

Your land is one point inside Jaboticaba's range

This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.

Free to start

See if Jaboticaba will thrive on your land

Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether jaboticaba actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled conditions at your address.

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources analyzed in seconds

How we know this about Jaboticaba

The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.

Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database

Frequently asked questions

Can I grow Jaboticaba in my zone?

Jaboticaba grows in USDA hardiness zones 10 through 12 (Rated hardy to zone 10 by NCSU Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NCSU Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-06).). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.

When should you plant Jaboticaba?

Set jaboticaba out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.

How much sun does Jaboticaba need?

Jaboticaba needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.

What soil does Jaboticaba need?

Jaboticaba prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7, on well-drained ground. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.

Does Jaboticaba attract pollinators?

Yes — jaboticaba's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.

Keep exploring Jaboticaba

Jaboticaba by USDA hardiness zone

Jaboticaba state by state

Every state jaboticaba's zone reaches — 0 link straight to that state's jaboticaba growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.