Red mombin

The red mombin, also known as Spanish plum, grows 3 to 10 metres tall. Its trunk is often short, with thick, twisting branches. The greyish to brownish bark is slightly fissured.

Its alternate leaves are 10 to 25 centimetres long and made up of 5 to 15 pairs of leaflets. They range from light to medium green. The small flowers vary from red to pink, and sometimes purple. They grow in panicles directly on older branches, a phenomenon known as cauliflory.

The fruit, also called jocote, is a fleshy, oval drupe resembling a plum. It measures 2.5 to 5 centimetres long. Green when unripe, it turns red or purple as it ripens. Each fruit contains a hard, fibrous stone enclosing one to five seeds. The edible yellow flesh is juicy, with a sweet-tart flavour.