MIRACLE FRUIT

Family: Sapotaceae

Native to Ghana (Tropical West Africa)

a.k.a. Miracle Berry

Have you heard of Synsepalum dulcificum, the miracle fruit that turns sour into sweet!

(read about  MIRACLE BERRY)

You are bidding on * live starter plants with vigorous root systems 3-5 inches tall with * leaves born and growing in a small container for ease of transplant.

    This small, evergreen shrub grows very         slowly to a height of 4-6 ft in container, and 10-15 ft in natural habitat. Eventual size         depends on where the plant is grown; a 10 years old plant might be easily only 4-5 feet         tall. It forms an oval to pyramidal shaped bush or small tree.

FAMILY : Sapotaceae
TYPE/USES : evergreen shrub
SIZE : 6' - 12'
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS : filtered light 
WATER REQUIREMENTS : average
MIN. TEMP. : low 30's
FLOWER : warmer months 

Avoid freezing temperatures.

Miracle fruit is difficult plant to locate and is usually found only     in a collector’s garden.

A relatively tasteless berry with an     amazing side-effect. After eating one miracle fruit, sour things will instantly taste     sweet. Eating even the sourest of lemons, one will taste only sugary sweetness. The effect     lasts an hour or two. The miracle fruit is a remarkable natural sweetener that is     virtually unknown to much of the world.

        Miracle Fruit thrives best in partial shade. When plants are small they  are subject to frost damage, so they should be container-grown and kept  indoors or moved to protected locations when frost or freeze threatens.  Older plants may sustain some leaf and minor twig damage, but may  sustain cooler temperatures without being killed. Although not thought  to be frost tolerant, the synsepalum plants have been observed growing in Florida         in protected from wind locations as far north as Tampa.

       There are 2         known species of synsepalum that carry miracle fruits. Synsepalum dulcificum is a         smaller-leaf version (leaves are narrow), and is somewhat slower growing plant.  Synsepalum subcordatum (Giant Miracle Fruit) is a larger leaf variety, and grows into a small         tree. The fruit are slightly bigger than those of s. dulcificum, and are produced         more profusely, especially in first years. With age, the fruit crop amounts of these two         species become about the same.

Inconspicuous brown-and-white 1/2 inch flowers are         followed by bright scarlet, 1 inch football-shaped fruit, sweet and pleasant tasting. Most         of the fruit is taken up by a single large seed, but the pulp around it can be nibbled off         and then for the next hour or so, anything one eats that is sour has a sweet         flavor. The plant starts fruiting when only 1 ft tall. It produces fruit         practically year around. In native habitat, two large crops are available yearly, each         after a rainy season. The mature bushes usually have a few fruits hanging around all year.         Seed to fruit in 2 to 3 years. Flower to fruit in 30 to 45 days.

One of the many virtues of miracle fruit is its ease         of cultivation, although, like with any plant, it would be nice if you learn its likes and         dislikes before inviting it into your home or garden.

THE PLANT

      A slow     growing bush or small tree to 15ft. Needs acidic soil and is intolerant to alkaline     conditions. Will tolerate minimal frost when full grown, but needs lots of water year     round. The miracle fruit cannot be grown outside in the United States except Southern     Florida, but it makes an easy house plant. Fruit is produced throughout the year and     hundreds of berries can be harvested from a single plant. Fruit is produced throughout the     year and hundreds of berries can be harvested from a single plant.

        Small     berry with tasteless flesh but an amazing side effect that will make sour things taste     sweet. The effect lasts for an hour or two. After eating a single miracle fruit, you can     eat a lemon raw without puckering! Small bush or tree, tropical, will survive slight     frosts. Easily container grown. Filtered light with some direct sun is good. Fertilize it     once a month with liquid fertilizer. Miracle fruit is not an indoor plant. A.C. and     heaters dry out the air too much for them. If you don't have experience growing tropical     plants indoors do some research on the internet for tips.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html?ex=1213156800&en=a731f257c7cedbd7&ei=5070&emc=eta1

THE FUN, THE TRICKS AND         RECIPES

                       Many people are still unaware of this rare fruit and the effect it could have on enhancing         the quality of their lifestyle.

• Invite your guest to taste the small Miracle Fruit             berry, which is usually liked for its own sweet taste. Then offer them to taste a sour             fruit from your garden collection: lemon, calamondin, key lime, eugenia, amla or any other             sour fruit. They will be amazed at the "new variety’s" taste and will be             begging you for a cutting!
  

  • Offer the fruit and then a beer. It could kill beer             appetite for more than an hour and makes beer taste like a lemonade. Heavy beer drinkers             can take a brake!
    

  • Try to enhance the quality of other fruit. Enjoy the             delights of a bowl of tart strawberries! Lemons taste like lemon sherbet.
    

  • Miracle Fruit enhances flavor of grapefruit. A             heavenly breakfast will be provided by a single Miracle Fruit berry before your morning             grapefruit!
    

  • Organic acids - especially citric acid - are the             substances that are modified to the greatest degree. Battery acid will NOT become a tasty             drink.

Miracle Fruit is a great sweet enhancement for             dieters.

The unique properties of miracle fruit have been used             for an appetite stimulation of persons taking chemotherapy medicines to help them to             remove the metallic taste and return the desire for food.

                    There are no artificial sweeteners proven absolutely safe. Sugar and other         "natural" sweeteners are hardly to be considered as food with no ill effects.         Miracle fruit is a natural, healthy and harmless sweetener! Due to its safety, it may have         a great potential and practical use in everyday life and become a gift to humanity, a way         to improve our diets and our health.

                   Unfortunately heat destroys the active principle, so that canning, jams, preserves,         baking, drying, etc. are impossible. The fruits can be held for a short period of time by         refrigeration or freezing.

                   The fruits themselves are of interest as a commercial source of artificial sweetener;         however, large quantities of berries are needed to collect a substantial amount of the         sweetener. The problem is how to increase the shelf life of the product. The berries are         perishable, and once picked, last only a few days. Methods of shipment are not conducive         to marketing the fruits and commercial cultivation of the plants was unsuccessful so far.

Miracle fruit is one of the  strangest tropical fruits. The most unusual thing about it is the effect  it has on one's taste after this miraculous berry has been consumed. The  “miracle” is that if lemon or other sour food is eaten after the miracle  fruit, the sour tastes sweet, as if sugar has been added. That kind of  magical experience is unforgettable! The interest in this plant is so  high that anyone who has a plant always finds eager volunteers to test  its sweetening properties. A natural chemical in the fruit masks the  tongue’s sour taste buds so that lemons taste like lemonade or lemon  pie, or lemon candy. What causes the miracle? The fruit has a unique  taste changing glycoprotein that inhibits taste buds' perception of sour  taste. The sweet sensation lasts for half an hour to a few hours...

A BIT OF HISTORY

         The         plant was discovered in West Africa, where the native diet revolved around a few basic         foods, mostly of sour taste. Just imagine the delight of the people when someone ate a few         red berries and later ate a meal of sour foods, to find everything suddenly sweet! The         West African natives use the fruit to sweeten sour palm wine (beer) -  Pito, and         fermented maize bread - Kenkey.

                 This West African wonder was not botanically identified and named until the middle of the         19th century as Synsepalum dulcificum, a member of the family Sapotaceae, relative of the         sapodilla (Manilkara zapota).

Miracle Berry

        If planted in alkaline limestone based soils, the plant may die. These  plants seem to live for acid, thriving in it, and then converting it!  They must have rich, well-drained soils that are acid in pH, with lots  of peat moss, and require constant supply of micronutrients. On alkaline  soils they often are grown in large containers with generous amounts of  peat moss for sustained success in fruiting.

      Miracle fruit makes an  excellent container tree, which gives it the added benefit of mobility.         Since it is so easily containerized, almost anyone can grow this plant whether they have         an outside planting area or not.

      Miracle fruit can         be a rewarding indoor plant. It is not a fast growing plant, which is another         benefit for those who would like to grow it in their house or greenhouse. It thrives under         warm temperatures, and high humidity. A 10 inch plant is happy in a one gallon pot. One         that size will flower and fruit at least twice a year, probably more frequently. 

Synsepalum     dulcificum

Family: Sapotaceae

Native to Ghana (Tropical West     Africa)

All good things  take time, so I grow my plants and rare palms in  my  ebay store.

Much more to check out or just get a little  education on in my store.

        Shipping

ATTENTION USA  BIDDERS!

     All  live plants if shipped bare-root are wrapped  in moist sphagnum moss to ensure the  plant's healthy transit to you. All live plants are  Inspected By USDA Plant Inspectors before they are shipped  to insure you get healthy pest free plants and seeds.

We ship  via USPS Mondays-Wednesday with Delivery confirmation.

            All plant materials are  required by LAW to inspected and certified by USDA prior to  export Hawaii to the US Mainland.

After Inspection, USDA stamps released for  export Hawaii to the US Mainland. All items are delivered to  USDA Inspection Station at Honolulu International airport.

USDA  Certification charge  is included in Shipping and Handling @ $5 fee per item/species.

There  is a packing and custom boxing fee.

Last and usually least is USPS postage (shipping)

ATTENTION  INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS!

We can  ship certified live plants to the US only. Only Domestic  Shipping and Handling includes USDA Certification.

We ship  Seeds Internationally.

All  International shipments are at Buyer's Risk. Please spend no  more more than you can lose!

Proper  Permits and Documents are the BUYER's responsibility. Please request any  documents prior to shipping.

For foreign  customers, please check your laws concerning permitting and customs,  additional shipping and handling costs may apply.

The  additional charge for any Phytosanitary Certificate is  not included in this offer.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ON  LIVE PLANTS  is available only under these conditions!

All  international orders are shipped at the BUYER's  RISK  (shipped with or without  documents) and no refunds or replacements are offered for  Dead On Arrival, loss, confiscation, Customs Seizure,  unanticipated charges, etc.

  Payment

We accept online  payments only through PayPal, Cash payments are only  acceptable for in-person payments and cash-on-delivery  (COD). Cash payment can not be sent through the mail.    

       Please only one Paypal payment. SO THE COMBINED SHIPPING  RULE WILL CAN BE USED. Late or Multiple PayPal payments are  NOT eligible for any discount.

We will ship once a  week - ON or BEFORE WEDNESDAYS, because of the special  stamps needed to ship plants and cuttings to you.  This  can only be done at the Dept. of Agriculture.  If  payments are not met before that MONDAY, your items will be  shipped the following week and lose the combined discount  opportunity. Non-paying bidders may receive negative  feedback and will be reported as an unpaid item to eBay.

COMBINED  SHIPPING POLICY

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING  is not included in this offer.         INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ON  LIVE PLANTS on a case by case basis.

We will combine shipping  for auctions won on the same week paid with same PayPal  payment.

This policy is good  for auction items bought and paid for in the week ending  MONDAY.

We ship on Tuesdays.

Payment must be  received within 4 days of the auction ending. 

Combined  Discounts Won Auctions

For 2-3 winning  auctions, the combined discount is 10% of the total Shipping  and Handling charges.

For 4-7 winning  auctions, the combined discount is 20% of the total Shipping  and Handling charges.

For 7+ winning  auctions, the combined discount is 30% of the total Shipping  and Handling charges.

As  each order is packed and prepared separately you will pay the quoted S/H charges individually per item. If you buy the same species in that item it  does calculate out the discount (i.e.: additional items)

My stores' combined shipping is built in for same items rather than a varied  selection. Domestic S/H includes postage, USDA certification and inspection, proper packing and delivery to Airport for  prompt delivery. I can't really change any of these. If you want one of this and one of that, it is hard to discount  much as each different species requires it's own prep, packing, then at USDA each has to be unwrapped and inspected  then repacked. USDA requires me to clean and prepare every last piece before we drive them to the Inspection Station on  the other side of the island. It takes my wife and I, 2-3 days to pack items and get ready to ship. The whole next day  we drive around the island and get inspected (2-3 hours), then drive to the Airport Post Office to drop off. It takes  the same work with the same type item if you can understand.

When you order a plant we assume you are prepared to care for it. It is your responsibility to know how to care  for the plant. Do some research before they arrive or seek experienced help.

 Small plants need protection from many things, wind, sun, dry-out. They do well just in the garage or living  room. They need good light but not sunlight (full sun will burn small plants). Small pots dry-out easily. Just sitting in a shallow tray of water works  well. The idea is to keep the plants from dehydrating.

Be careful if you decide to re-pot.  Re-potting voids any warranty. Plants are easily damaged with new/different mix. Use NO fertilizers (this may kill your plants).  Proper care is critical upon arrival. Live Plants are NOT GUARANTEED  to survive under your care. DO NOT expect any live plant to be GUARANTEED to remain alive. Plants are NOT GUARANTEED TO SURVIVE after you begin Care! Live arrival is guaranteed,  eternal survival is up to you.

 IF YOU are NOT able to provide PROPER CARE, PLEASE DO NOT EXPECT plant to be GUARANTEED after it perishes.

NO REPLACEMENT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF YOU HAVE REPOTTED THE PLANT.

Please Do NOT email me a week after potting your plant, and make a claim it arrived damaged. If you repot your plant after delivery, all warranties are voided and no replacement is offered. All  photos must be as arrived in original condition as received (in the box and packed as delivered).

If repotted, you are responsible for the condition of the plant. NO REPLACEMENT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF YOU HAVE REPOTTED THE PLANT.

Not every plant that I grow survives, and I am aware of that and accept the risk when I order. This is the risk that you as the buyer accept, because there is no way to know what kind  of conditions it will endure in the trip to your door. My responsibility ends when a live plant is delivered to your door.

You are agreeing to these terms when you make this purchase from this listing.

LIVE PLANTS ARE PERISHABLE.

There is the risk when you grow plants that they may die.  LIVE PLANTS are PERISHABLE, guaranteed not to live forever.

US orders ONLY are GUARANTEED for LIVE ARRIVAL . All International orders are shipped at the BUYER's  RISK!

From delivery confirmation, you have only 48 hours from delivery confirmation to make any claim.

All claims need to be supported with Photos of the damaged plant(s) as packed/unpacked, the box if damaged, the packing materials and any documents.

I am very reasonable and understanding, anything can happen to small plants in transit, for this reason uninsurable.

The expense to send it to you is most of your payment. To send any replacements, I try to piggy back with your next order.

Replacement is not an option for CUSTOMS SEIZURE.

ALL OF MY ITEMS ARE SHIPPED USDA CERTIFIED WITHIN THE U.S. - USDA and USPS fees  are included in the actual cost of shipping and Handling.

Please do not leave a 1 or 2 in my detailed seller ratings for postage fees or any  reason really because I will block you from any further purchases.
 
Please contact me before eBay if you have any issue. I am the one  who can help you. Do not open any case for any reason really because I will block you from any further purchases.

I ship items the best and least expensive option. These are coming from Hawaii.  The only thing inexpensive here in Hawaii are my items!! I do ship all my items promptly via best method. If you feel  like the combined shipping fee is wrong, please wait to be invoiced and check back with me! I value your business and  will work diligently to keep you satisfied. I am very generous and reasonable with reasonable people, just ask.

my dog Taz will fetch your email to me

If you are dissatisfied with the item for any reason, please contact me before leaving a negative or neutral comment.

I want you to be satisfied!

Mahalo iâ `oe no ke kipa `ana mai. E kipa mai hou!

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