Jambolan, Java Plum - Jambolan has fragrant white flowers in branched clusters at stem tips and purplish-black oval edible berries. Jambolans of good size and quality, having a sweet or subacid flavor and a minimum of astringency, are eaten raw and may be made into tarts, sauces and jam. The jambolan has received recognition in folk medicine and in the pharmaceutical trade. The seeds, leaves and bark are also used in various alternative healing systems like Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. According to Hindu tradition, Rama subsisted on the fruit in the forest for 14 years during his exile from Ayodhya. Because of this, many Hindus regard Jambul as a "fruit of the gods". In Hindu mythology Lord Krishna has been described as having skin the color of Jambul. The leaves are used in India as marriage pendals. The tree is very vigorous, bushy and full, and can be also used as a fast growing ornamental, creating a dense privacy screen in just a couple of seasons.
