Sea Apple

Sea Apple

Sea Apple (Syzygium grande)
Family: Myrtaceae

The Sea Apple is a tall coastal tree of this region that grows up to 30m in height. It is a robust tree with large white flowers arranged in compact clusters with showy stamens.

The fruits are oblong, with a green leathery rind when ripe. These fruits are sought after by bats, who eat them and help disperse the seeds. In Singapore, most Sea Apple trees flower and fruit from March - May.

The Sea Apple was first adopted in Singapore as a wayside tree in the early 1900s. As this tree does not burn easily, it used to be planted extensively as firebreaks, at a time when our roads were bordered by highly flammable lalang wastelands.