How to Grow and Care for Uapaca

Tapia tree is a tree that can grow 10 to 12 m high, but usually stays at 3 to 5 m. Leaves are alternate and sclerophyllous. The bark is thick and furrowed. Male flowers have five stamens and five tepals, and are clustered in dense balls with an involucre of 7–8 bracts. Female inflorescences are reduced to one flower with a trilocular ovary, surrounded by bracts. Fruits are drupes 2 to 3 cm in diameter, green to yellow, and brown when ripe.

Sugar plum is a fruit-bearing tree endemic to the miombo woodlands of southern Africa. It sports a dense, rounded canopy with leathery, green leaves. The tree's most characteristic feature is its wild plum-like fruits, which have a tart, sweet flavor, nourishing both wildlife and local communities. Sugar plum's resilience in dry, deciduous forests highlights its adaptation to variable climates, solidifying its role in the ecosystem and as a staple food source.