Lowveld milkberry
Manilkara mochisia · Sapotaceae family
A small yellow-fruited milkberry eaten in East African forest communities.
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Lowveld milkberry is a small yellow fruit with sweet, juicy red pulp and hard brown seeds. It grows on Manilkara mochisia, an African tree whose ripe fruit draws people and wildlife alike.
What it is
The rounded fruit reaches about 1.8 cm (0.7 in) long. Yellow skin surrounds soft red flesh and one to three flattened, dark brown seeds. A small, sharp bristle marks the tip. The pulp is the part to eat; the hard seeds are discarded. The tree belongs to the Sapotaceae family.
Where it comes from
Lowveld milkberry grows across much of mainland Tanzania and a broad stretch of eastern and southern Africa. Its range reaches north to Kenya and Somalia and south through Mozambique to KwaZulu-Natal, with trees also in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana and Angola. Hot, dry savannah woodland is one of its homes, often on termite mounds.
How it's eaten where it grows
In Tanzania, people pick ripe fruit from the tree or gather it from the ground and eat it raw as a snack. They eat the sweet pulp and discard the seeds. In Nyamwezi the tree is called Mkonze; Swahili names include Mnago, Msapa and Mtalawanda.
How it's grown
The plant can be a large shrub or a small to medium tree. It branches low and spreads into a broad crown, with stiff, shiny leaves gathered at the ends of short shoots. In Tanzania, people usually gather it from wild trees, though it can also be raised from seedlings.
When and where you'll find it
In Tanzania, ripe fruit is usually gathered from April to June. It is a fresh woodland snack, picked locally from wild trees. Its yellow skin marks the ripe stage, when the pulp is juicy. People share the crop with wildlife that also seeks out the fruit.
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What it tastes like
The fruit has soft, edible pulp around one to three seeds.
The fruit has soft, edible pulp around one to three seeds.
Ripe fruit is juicy.
How to buy it
1EatPulp · not hard seeds
Eat
PulpNot eaten
Hard seedsRipe fruit has sweet, juicy pulp; the hard seeds are discarded.
Detroit, Michigan
When it’s good hereUsual monthsJust arrivedAt their bestLast chanceAll yearWhere it is in its usual monthsToday, Oct 22Grown hereIn season in your stateShips fromIn season where it grows
Sources
Sources
Lowveld milkberry · Fruitopia · checked Sep 22, 2026