Aratiles

Muntingia calabura

Family: Muntingiaceae

Common Name: Aratiles, Strawberry Tree, Jamaican Cherry, Mansanita

Origin: tropical Americas, introduced in the Philippines and other areas

Reference: Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk

This tree fruits year round. Many Filipinos of a certain age have childhood memories of eating the fruit straight from the tree! We planted several of these non-native (though naturalized) trees as a year-round food source for birds and bats.

It is a small, spreading tree. According to some websites it can be grown in pots.