~Elephant Apple~

Dillenia indica

Synonyms: Dillenia elongata Miq., Dillenia indica f. elongata (Miq.), Dillenia speciosa Thunb.

Native to SE Asia

India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka east to SW China (Yunnan) and Vietnam, and south through Thailand to Malaysia and Indonesia.

This large, evergreen tropical tree is native to forest riverbanks across tropical Asia and grows up to 15 m tall. Its branches are used to make good firewood.

The leaves of the Elephant Apple are simply beautiful. Each is papery, glossy dark green and the size of a man’s foot.  

Undersides are downy and parallel pleats complete the amazing and pretty foliage characteristics.

Dillenia indica produces solitary large, 15–20 cm diameter, with five white petals and numerous yellow stamens flowers from June  to August. 

The flowers are short-lived.

The knobby grapefruit-sized fruits are yellow-green, and ripen with a leathery brown covering and many interior brown-black seeds.

The fruits are edible. They are crisp and aromatic (almost onion-like) with an acid flesh. Unripe fruits are often  pickled or used as chutney.

The Legend of the Money Tree

The legend says that D. Pedro I of Brazil (D. Pedro IV of Portugal)  sent the fruits of the Elephant Apple tree to Portugal with the message “In this land money grows on trees”.

Dillenia indica was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese. When the Portuguese opened the fruits they’ve lost their speech! All the fruits had patacas’ coins  (the Brazilian currency) inside!

D. Pedro in such a way wanted to symbolize the natural richness of Brazil. The trick was so good that  even today people from 

Portuguese speaking countries keep talking about the Patacas’ tree as a hypothetical easy way to make money.

But how did the fruits had coins inside without being opened before?

The Elephant Apple tree is known in Brazil also as the chest-fruit tree, and the origin of this name is the key to solve the mystery.

When the flowers of Dillenia indica are fertilized, the fruit grows in the middle as usual, however, also the petals start  developing and growing around, 

becoming juicy, edible and protecting the fruit inside. So, what you place in the flower  (between the ovary and the petals) remains there, 

and obviously the coins that D. Pedro placed in the flowers remained inside  until fruits got ripe and someone got them.

An interesting study in the Buxa Tiger Reserve by ecologists Sekar & Sukumar has shown

that Asian elephants appear to have a particular fondness for the fruits of Dillenia indica, so they are an important seed dispenser for this tree.

Because Elephant Apple is a main source of food for elephants, monkeys and deer, it is prohibited to collect fruits from the core areas of the forest. 

Commercial sale of the fruit is also prohibited in order to help the food-chain system of the forest  from dismantling totally.

Dillenia indica prefers full to partial sun and an acidic, humus soil with average drainage. 

The best conditions for this tree is lots of heat and high humidity. 

It’s sensitive to cold, but will survive a brief encounter with frost.

ATTENTION USA BIDDERS!

     All live plants if shipped bare-root are wrapped in moist sphagnum moss to ensure the plant's healthy transit to you. 

All live plants are Inspected By USDA Plant Inspectors before they are shipped to insure you get healthy pest free plants and seeds.

We ship via USPS Mondays-Wednesday with Delivery confirmation.

All plant materials are required by LAW to inspected and certified by USDA prior to export Hawaii to the US Mainland.

After Inspection, USDA stamps released for export Hawaii to the US Mainland. All items are delivered to USDA Inspection Station at Honolulu International airport.

USDA Certification charge is included in Shipping and Handling @ $5 fee per item/species.

There is a packing and custom boxing fee.

Last and usually least is USPS postage (shipping)

ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS!

We can ship certified live plants to the US only. Only Domestic Shipping and Handling includes USDA Certification.

We ship Seeds Internationally.

All International shipments are at Buyer's Risk. Please spend no more more than you can lose!

Proper Permits and Documents are the BUYER's responsibility. Please request any documents prior to shipping.

For foreign customers, please check your laws concerning permitting and customs, additional shipping and handling costs may apply.

The additional charge for any Phytosanitary Certificate is not included in this offer.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ON LIVE PLANTS is available only under these conditions!

All international orders are shipped at the BUYER's RISK  (shipped with or without documents) and no refunds or replacements are offered for Dead On Arrival, loss, confiscation, Customs Seizure, unanticipated charges, etc.

We will ship once a week - ON or BEFORE WEDNESDAYS, because of the special stamps needed to ship plants and cuttings to you.  This can only be done at the Dept. of Agriculture.  If payments are not met before that MONDAY, your items will be shipped the following week and lose the combined discount opportunity. Non-paying bidders may receive negative feedback and will be reported as an unpaid item to eBay.After you purchase After you Receive your Items.There is the risk when you grow plants that they may die. LIVE PLANTS are PERISHABLE, guaranteed not to live forever. DO NOT expect any live plant to be GUARANTEED to remain alive. Plants are NOT GUARANTEED TO SURVIVE after you begin Care!From delivery confirmation, you have only 48 hours from delivery confirmation to make any claim.

If you are dissatisfied with the item for any reason, please contact me before leaving a negative or neutral comment.

I want you to be satisfied!

Mahalo iâ `oe no ke kipa `ana mai. E kipa mai hou!

Rare Seeds

Fresh Highest Quality

Seller warrants seed to be of the variety and quantity advertised. Safe delivery is guaranteed and seeds lost or damaged during shipment will be replaced at seller's expense. Claims must be made within 7 days of shipment. All other replacements, refunds, returns and exchanges will be made at the sole discretion of the seller.

  Seed is a live product which depends on many important related grower skills such as proper planting time, seed depth, type of soil, irrigation, proper use of fertilizers, weed controls, fungicides, insecticides, disease free soil, and reasonable weather conditions during the growing period. Germination is affected by such factors as temperature, moisture content, light intensity and contamination of planting media. These factors are totally out of the seller's control and are the buyer's responsibility and risk. Consequentially, the seller cannot unconditionally guarantee seed to perform properly regardless of conditions or the buyer's methods or mistakes.

Ma ha lo & A l o h a ! !