White indigo berry

White indigo berry (Randia aculeata) was full of fruit in the low-lying areas of the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area on the 1/30/2016 volunteer nature stewardship walk. Like many tropical plants, this hammock native flowers and fruits throughout the entire year often ignoring The seasons.

This plant can be difficult to identify when it is not in fruit or flower due to its great variability. Do note the distinctive clear midrib and spatulate leaves.

Its tiny, five-petaled white flowers could be overlooked, but its white fruits stand out.

Fruits ripen from green to white. As the fruits mature the indigo colored pulp inside begins to “peek out. Sometimes, fruits will turn completely dark indigo blue. Most often, though, the fruits are consumed by birds and other wildlife before taking on this dark coloration.

Its habit in hammock shade often is quite open and sprawling. In sunny locations, the foliage and form is much more compact.