Wampee, Sweet, a little Tangy Citrus Cousin
Wampee is an awesome backyard tree that grows big bunches of grape-like fruit with a sweet, see-through flesh. Even though it looks different to a normal orchard tree, it is a close cousin of citrus. You can look after it just like a lemon or orange tree by giving it almost full sun in Perth, rich soil, and good drainage. It handles light winter frosts easily once it grows up, but it needs heaps of water during hot Perth Metro summers so the fruit does not drop off.
If you want fruit fast, keeping a wampee in a pot is the best way. A seedling planted in the ground can take under 6 years to get going, but a large pot squeezes the roots. This stress forces the tree to stop growing leaves and start making fruit instead. Like many fruit trees!
If you buy a grafted tree and keep it in a pot, you will often get a massive harvest in just 2 years.
Two main types do really well for local growers. Yeem Pay is popular because it grows big, long fruit that are super sweet with no sour taste at all. On the other hand, Guy Sam grows oval, bronze fruit with a sharp, refreshing tang. Cool enough, if you grow Guy Sam all by itself with no other wampee trees around, the fruit grows completely seedless.
In Perth, when you look for these trees, you might find some called Australian Wampee. These are native cousins rather than the traditional Asian fruit tree, and three main types pop up locally.
Clausena brevistyla is the closest native cousin, growing as a thick bush up to 6m tall. The leaves smell strongly of lemon when you crush them, and it grows edible, pale pink berries with a sweet, spicy taste, somewhat unpleasant, but attractive prolific fruiter.
Murraya crenulata is another rainforest version that grows to about 4m. It has shiny leaves that barely smell like citrus at all, and it grows small, flat white berries covered in tiny dark dots.
Micromelum minutum is a tough bush that grows 3 to 4m tall. It is great for attracting local butterflies, growing fragrant white flowers and heaps of tiny, bright red berries that look completely different to a normal wampee.
Scientists are tracking the true wampee because it has some powerful health benefits.
Lab studies show the seeds and leaves are packed with natural chemicals that stop inflammation.
Uni trials show leaf extracts protect your liver from toxins. Other recent lab tests found oils in the skin can actually stop cancer cells, like lung and bowel cancer, from growing by forcing them to self-destruct.
On the farming side, researchers are looking at how this tree beats the heat, which is awesome for local growers facing scorching summers. Agri studies show wampee leaves adjust to drought incredibly well. When water is low, the tree locks away sugars in its leaves to keep up internal pressure, meaning it survives dry spells way better than standard citrus. How ideal for Perth!
Even better, because it is related to citrus but avoids common dirt diseases, agri trials are testing it as a super tough rootstock. It completely resists phytophthora root rot, a fungal disease that destroys normal lemon and orange trees in wet soil.
Farm trials also prove the leaves have natural bug sprays that repel psyllids, the tiny pests that spread deadly citrus greening disease globally. This makes it a goldmine for breeding tough, bug-resistant fruit trees for the future.
Seedlings available here: https://primalfruits.com.au/products/wampee-seedling
