Natal milkplum
Englerophytum natalense
Sweet pulp from an African forest tree, with household handling still little known.
Find it near DetroitGet to know it
Natal milkplum is a small red forest fruit with sweet, fleshy pulp around a single seed. Its smooth oval skin ends in a small beak at the tip. In Tanzania, the ripe pulp is eaten raw and much liked by children.
What it is
An individual fruit reaches about 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long. Beneath the smooth red skin is the edible pulp, wrapped around one seed. It is eaten ripe and fresh, and it tastes sweet.
The tree is Englerophytum natalense, a member of the sapodilla family. Bequaertiodendron natalense is an older name for the same plant. Silver-leaved milkplum is another common name, reflecting the pale undersides of its leaves.
Where it comes from
Natal milkplum grows in eastern and southern Africa, from Uganda and Kenya through Tanzania and Malawi to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. In Tanzania it occurs around Morogoro and in the West Usambara mountains.
Its botanical name points south: natalense refers to Natal, now KwaZulu-Natal. In Tanzania it is called Mduyuyu in Swahili and Mdulu in Sambaa.
How it's grown
This evergreen tree usually reaches 4–12 m (13–39 ft), spreading its branches outward, sometimes almost horizontally. Glossy green leaves gather near the branch tips; underneath, fine hairs give them a silver-grey surface. Small cream flowers sit beside the leaves in groups of one to three.
It grows in coastal and river forests, wooded ravines and wetter upland forests. In Tanzania the tree gives shade, and it is sometimes grown as an ornamental. New trees can be raised from fresh seed.
When and where you'll find it
In Tanzania, ripe fruit is usually found from April through June and gathered from wild trees. The local food is the fresh pulp, eaten raw.
In South Africa, living trees grow in Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, in beds around the water-lily pools and in the upper garden along Van Riebeeck Street. Their green-and-silver leaves offer a way to recognise the plant beyond its fruiting season.
Get it near Detroit
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What it tastes like
Ripe Natal milkplum pulp is fleshy and sweet.
Ripe Natal milkplum pulp is fleshy and sweet.
Choose, eat
1ChooseDeep red, elongated
Look for
- Deep red, elongated
The fruit is deep red and elongated when ripe.
2EatRipe pulp · not roots, wood
Eat
Ripe pulpNot eaten
RootsWoodThe ripe, fleshy pulp is eaten raw. The roots (used medicinally) and wood (used for utensils) aren't food.
Detroit, Michigan
When it’s good here
Season not documented for Michigan.
Sources
Sources
Natal milkplum · Fruitopia · checked Sep 22, 2026
- infonet-biovision.org /sites/default/files/pdf/edible_wild_plants_of_tanzania.pdf
- sun.gardenexplorer.org /taxon-1161.aspx
- tropical.theferns.info /viewtropical.php?id=Englerophytum+natalense
What we don't know yet
A South African nursery lists fruiting June–November; that's separate from the April–June window reported in Tanzania, and the two shouldn't be combined into one calendar.