Eugenia uniflora Etna Fire

Eugenia 'Etna Fire' is a superb descendant of a tropical tree called the Cayenne cherry, cultivated in Brazil for its juicy and aromatic fruits. Unlike the latter, this 'Etna Fire' variety is hardy down to -7°C (19.4 °F). It also has a more compact and dense habit, with absolutely stunning evergreen foliage: its young branches and juvenile leaves display a flaming ruby red colour, shimmering. This intense red coexists with bright green leaves on the bush. Its small white-cream flowers, resembling those of myrtles, give rise to small red fruits that can be enjoyed as fruit juice, in jams, and exotic dishes. It is a very beautiful hedge shrub for a coastal garden, especially on the Atlantic coast where it appreciates the mild and humid climate. It will also look stunning when planted in a large pot on the terrace.

Eugenia uniflora is a shrub from the myrtle family, found in the wild in southern Brazil and northern Argentina. Despite its wide distribution in different warm regions, from Africa to southern China and India, it is rarely cultivated on a large scale except in Brazil, for its fruit. This species is not demanding in terms of soil and climate but cannot tolerate any frost and prefers moist soils.

The 'Etna Fire' cultivar, introduced in 2013 by an Italian nursery, stands out for its better cold resistance, limited growth rarely exceeding 2m (6ft 7in) in height, and an extraordinary red juvenile foliage. It is suited to a coastal location. Its growth is moderately fast and its habit is naturally dense, bushy, and upright. The evergreen leaves are shiny, oval, leathery, and emit a very aromatic scent when crushed, a mixture of myrtle, camphor, and lemon. They emerge with a ruby red colour and then turn emerald green, with all these colours blending together. The self-fertile and highly attractive shrub flowers generously in June-July. The small 4-petalled flowers surrounding a tuft of long stamens are white to cream, fragrant, and 1cm (0.4in) wide. They appear in the axils of the leaves, at the base of the current year's shoots and are followed in autumn by the formation of round, flattened 'Cayenne cherries', fleshy, ribbed like certain small tomatoes. The flesh of the fruit is the same colour as the skin: a bright orange-red. It is soft, juicy, with a distinctive flavour that is both sweet, tangy, aromatic (balsamic), and spicy. This fruit is rich in vitamin C and its subtly tart taste will delight gourmets curious about exotic flavors. Each 'cherry' contains one, or more rarely, two seeds.

Eugenia 'Etna Fire' is a charming and delicious orangery plant in cold climates. In a greenhouse or conservatory, it will create an extremely decorative quartet with an orange tree, a Yuzu, or a Mimosa, evoking landscapes with exotic charm and fragrance. In mild climates, especially on the Atlantic coast of our country, it can be used as a medium-sized hedge - it tolerates pruning well - or in a flower bed, or even in a well-sheltered orchard, alongside blueberries, raspberries, Myrtus ugni 'Flambeau', and May berries. It can also be planted in an evergreen hedge, accompanied by Sarcococca, spring-flowering broom, dwarf rhododendrons in non-calcareous soil, or red-flowered Callistemons (Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens').