I've been fond of peanut butter since I was a tot, and I hope my appreciation for this simple but delicious food never wanes. But did you know that an entire genus of Tropical American plants - about 60 species in all- bear fruit that have a peanut-buttery taste?

I imagine you didn't, because these lovely shrubs and trees, unrelated to true peanut plants, are, horticulturally speaking, obscure and rarely offered by plant dealers. And that's why the peanut butter fruit (Bunchosia argentea) is the latest subject in my occasional series devoted to little-known but garden-worthy plants.

The peanut butter fruit plant is an evergreen, 6-foot to 12-foot tall woody shrub that grows in the understory of forests across a broad swath of South America.

It has wide, leathery leaves that serve as a fine backdrop for clusters of cool-yellow blossoms that appear most abundantly in spring but continue into early autumn.

Each burst of bloom is followed by production of the peanut butter flavored fruit that earns this Bunchosia species its name. These plump fruit, usually produced in pairs, are about an inch long and tomato-red when ripe. Their sticky-sweet, dense pulp, surrounding a single large seed, features a delightful peanut-butter taste.

The peanut butter fruit plant has an upright growth habit and a moderate growth rate in sun or bright, filtered light on well-drained sites.

Although Logee's Tropical Plants, which sells this species, indicates that growing zones lower than 10 (we're Zone 9) aren't suitable, other sources consider peanut butter fruit plant appropriate for our zone when cultivated in protected locations.

Thus, mulched sites close to south or east-facing walls are optimal, especially if a protective tree canopy exists.

In addition to in-ground installation, peanut butter fruit plants can be grown in half-barrel-sized tubs or other large planters.

Propagate with fresh seeds and warm-season cuttings.

Small specimens are available from Logee's. Call 888-330-8038 or visit www.Logees.com.

Another Bunchosia species that's sometimes cultivated is the peanut butter plant (B. armeniaca).

Native to northern and western South America, this large, evergreen shrub or small tree can grow 30 feet tall. Its plum-sized fruit have a lip-smacking peanut-butter-and-honey flavor.

This yellow-flowered plant is rated hardy for our zone.
