Typical of the Myrtaceae family
Syzygium jambos
Rose Apple गुलाब जामुन
Hindi name · See all regional names ↓
Also known as Pomme Rose, Malabar Plum
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Karnataka, West Bengal, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- August-January
Rose Apple in regional languages
Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.
| Language | Regional script | Recorded Latin spelling |
|---|---|---|
| Hindi | गुलाब जामुन | Gulab jamun |
| Nepali | गुलाब जामुन | Gulab jamun |
| Bengali | গোলপজাম · গোলাপজাম | Golapjam |
| Tamil | Not recorded | Perunaval |
| Telugu | రోజ్ యాపిల్ | Gulabjama, Jambunaeredu |
| Kannada | ಪನ್ನೇರಳೆ | Jambu, Pannerale |
| Malayalam | മലക്കാചമ്പാ · പനിനീർ ചാമ്പ | Malakkachampa, Syzygium jambos |
| Marathi | जाम्ब | Jamb |
| Sinhala | වැලි ජම්බු | Not recorded |
See the original recorded names
- Hindi
- गुलाब जामुन Gulab jamun
- Nepali
- गुलाब जामुन Gulab jamun, गुलाब जामुन
- Bengali
- গোলপজাম Golapjam, গোলাপজাম
- Tamil
- Perunaval
- Telugu
- Gulabjama, Jambunaeredu, రోజ్ యాపిల్
- Kannada
- Jambu, Pannerale, ಪನ್ನೇರಳೆ
- Malayalam
- മലക്കാചമ്പാ Malakkachampa, പനിനീർ ചാമ്പ, Syzygium jambos
- Marathi
- जाम्ब Jamb, जाम्ब
- Sinhala
- වැලි ජම්බු
Ecology & growing context
- Native status · Kew WCVP
- WCVP records it as introduced in Andaman Is., Assam, India Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: China (S. Yunnan) and W. Malesia.
- Recorded habitat
- Cultivated
- Explore nearby plants
- Karnataka →West Bengal →Kerala →
Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.
How to identify Rose Apple
Identify Rose Apple by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Rose-scented fruit.
- Confirm leaf shape: Lanceolate.
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous.
- Confirm flower colour: White-cream.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: August-January.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra and nearby regions.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Syzygium jambos
- Genus
- Syzygium
- Family
- Myrtaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Cultivated
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Sikkim tarai
- Distribution
- Planted in Tropical Asia and Australia
- Found in India
- Karnataka, West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-January
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.“The leaves are lanceolate, 2 to 4 centimetres (3⁄4 to 1+5⁄8 inches) broad, 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) long, pointed, base cuneate with hardly any petiole, lively red when growing, but” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“Its leaves and twigs are glabrous and the bark, though dark brown, is fairly smooth too, with little relief or texture.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Rose Apple itself; the rest are typical of the Myrtaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- White-creamrecorded
Typical of the family
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
Characters marked “recorded” are for Rose Apple itself; the rest are typical of the Myrtaceae family — flowering plants only.
Rose Apple in India
This fruit tree, known as गुलाब जामुन Gulab jamun (Hindi), Perunaval (Tamil), Gulabjama (Telugu), Jambu (Kannada), മലക്കാചമ്പാ Malakkachampa (Malayalam), जाम्ब Jamb (Marathi), produces fruit with a distinctive rose-like fragrance. Syzygium jambos is found across Karnataka, West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Assam, typically near water.
Uses
Its pale yellow, crisp fruit is eaten fresh for its delicate rose fragrance, and is also made into jams and preserves in some regions.
How to Identify Rose Apple
An evergreen tree with narrow, glossy, willow-like leaves. Flowers have a distinctive pom-pom of long, pale yellow-green stamens with barely visible petals, followed by round, pale yellow to pinkish fruit with a crisp, watery flesh and a strong rose-like scent.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Rose Apple called in different Indian languages?
- गुलाब जामुन Gulab jamun (Hindi); Perunaval (Tamil); Gulabjama (Telugu); Jambu (Kannada); മലക്കാചമ്പാ Malakkachampa (Malayalam); जाम्ब Jamb (Marathi); গোলপজাম Golapjam (Bengali).
- Is rose apple related to the dessert gulab jamun?
- No — despite a shared Hindi name (gulab jamun, meaning 'rose jamun'), the fruit of Syzygium jambos is unrelated to the fried milk-dough dessert of the same name.
- Why does the fruit smell like roses?
- It contains aromatic compounds similar to those in rose petals, giving the crisp, mild-tasting flesh its distinctive rose-like fragrance.
Myrtaceae
Myrtle/Eucalyptus family
Rose Apple belongs to the Myrtaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
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All plant problem & care guidesMore in Myrtaceae
View all MyrtaceaeSources: GBIF — Syzygium jambos (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Syzygium jambos (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)