The panama berry tree (Muntingia calabura) goes by many names such as strawberry tree, jam fruit tree, and cotton candy berry. The Panama berry is a tropical fruit tree with a strawberry looking flower and sweet edible fruits that taste like cotton candy. It can grow as a shrub or small tree to 25′ and produces small fruits nearly year-round that are tasty snacks for humans or wildlife such as birds.
Panama berry is native to tropical America but has been grown in south and central Florida as a tropical fruit tree in edible landscapes. It can be propagated by seed, cutting or air layering. This plant has been reported to naturalize in areas but has not yet been assessed by UF/IFAS Assessment of Nonnative Plants. It is suitable for tropical and subtropical regions, zones 9b – 11.
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