Orange Jocote (Spondias purpurea 'Orange')

Sweet-Tart Tropical Plum with Golden Flesh and Global Flavor

Orange Jocote, a rare cultivar of Spondias purpurea, is a tropical fruit tree that produces golden-orange, plum-like fruit with a sweet, tangy punch and soft, juicy flesh. Native to Central America and beloved across Latin America and the Caribbean, jocote fruit (also called ciruela or hog plum) is enjoyed fresh, salted, pickled, or juiced—and always devoured in season.

The Orange variety is prized for its bright color, complex flavor, and vigorous growth. These deciduous trees are drought-tolerant, highly productive, and beautiful in the landscape—especially when they drop their leaves and erupt in bright pink blooms before fruiting. Perfect for zones 9–11, food forests, rare fruit collections, or anyone wanting to grow a highly nutritious and culturally loved fruit.

Why You'll Love It:

• Produces bright, juicy golden-orange fruit with sweet-tart flavor
• Loved across Latin America and the Caribbean as a seasonal snack
  
• Deciduous tree with stunning pink blooms before fruiting
  
• Drought-tolerant, easy to grow, and highly productive
  
• Perfect for food forests, tropical gardens, and rare fruit collectors

Growing Tips:

• Plant in full sun with well-drained soil—jocote thrives in heat
  
• Water moderately during establishment; very drought-tolerant when mature
  
• Allow fruit to fully ripen on the tree or enjoy green and tart with salt
  
• Prune to shape and manage size—can be maintained as a small tree or large shrub
  
• Protect young trees from frost in Zone 9 until established