What the heck is pitomba? It's not very common in the U.S., but pitomba (talisia esculenta) is native to Amazon regions of South America--Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia and Paraguay. The shrubby tree produces a bright orange fruit that to me tastes like a combination of mango and apricot. In its native region it is eaten fresh, made into jelly and pressed for juice. The plants have a modest cold tolerance and can survive light freezes down to around 25F, which means that I have to keep mine potted as I can get cold snaps that regularly dip down into the low 20s. I have to say they're pretty robust plants though--mine has survived years of neglect and has died back on multiple occasions where I thought it wouldn't recover, but each time it has. And it continues to fruit for me. I understand it doesn't like chlorine or high mineral content in its water, so I'll use collected rainwater for it, but other than that it is not too picky about its growing conditions. If you're looking for a tasty, exotic tropical fruit to grow in a pot, the pitomba might be worth seeking out.
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