What is Miracle Fruit?

Miracle Fruit can be found in the Saportaceae family along with star apples, mamey sapotes, sapodillas, and mahuas. All of which are evergreens and produce an abundance of healing fruits. Miracle Fruit can go by many names such as Synsepalum Dulcificum, Miracle Berry, miraculous berry, magic berry, the list goes on. 

This plant was originally founded by a French explorer, but has been used for many centuries before that by the locals in West Africa. They often used the sweetening properties of the miracle berry for their bland and sour foods. However, it was used for much more than that, including medicinal purposes. 

Related: How It Works: Miracle Fruit

The fruit this plant produces is immaculate, after a few years. I mean, we sell 1.2 million tablets a year, each containing three berries in each tablet. That's a lot of berries.

Choosing the type: 

There are four options to choose from when beginning your miracle fruit plant journey. You can decide between seed, seedling, plant with no berries, and plants with berries. 

• Fruit bearing: This typically means you will be purchasing a Miracle Fruit Plant that will have fruit on it when you receive it. It is at the age where it is able to produce berries. These are usually 2-3 feet tall and around 3-4 years old.

• Non-fruit bearing:  This typically means you will be purchasing a Miracle Fruit Plant that will NOT have fruit on it when you receive it. It is still at a young age anywhere from 6 months-3 years old and can vary in height. 

• Grown from Cuttings: This typically means the plant was grown by cutting a branch from another plant and allowing it to grow roots before planting. This significantly decreases the time it takes to bear fruit. This plant is not grown from seed. 

• Grown from Seed: This typically means the plant has been growing from the seed. The seed was planted and is now in seedling or full plant form. These take the longest to grow since it has to start from the beginning. 

How to care for your plant when it first arrives: 

• Use soil with no fertilizers as the fertilizer will dry out the roots
• Water liberally for the first week in it's new home
• Leave your plant in a shady area and avoid direct sun light for 1-2 weeks as the leaves could easily burn
• Adding vitamin B1 to your soil can help the miracle berry plant become acclimated after transplant

How to begin and care for your plant: 

Seed Care:

• Seeds need to be fresh as they dry out as soon as they touch air. 
• Whether you get the seed from fresh fruit or shipped to you, they need to be planted immediately 

1. Mix 50% perlite and 50% sphagnum peat moss in a medium sized container. A coffee ground container or Tupperware work best. Unless you received soil with your order, it is best to use that.
2. Shake to mix the soils together
3. Put soil into smaller containers, about half the size of a coffee mug. Egg containers work wonderfully to germinate the seeds
4. Fill preferred makeshift pot with soil and moisten
5. Place seed just underneath the top layer of soil
6. Keep soil moist and warm at all times

• Tip: Place a plastic bag over the pot(s) and spray water inside to create the perfect humid environment
• It can take a few weeks for the seed to germinate, so be patient
• Once the plant has sprouted and has gotten too big for its container, it's time to repot!
• Use the method below  on how to repot your Miracle Fruit Tree 

Seedling Care:

• Before receiving your seedling, make sure you have the following:
• Perlite
•  Sphagnum Peat Moss
• Misting Bottle
• Plastic Bag
• Pot 2 inches bigger than the original pot and with adequate drainage
• Once you receive your seedling, be gentle as it has trauma from shipping
• Create a mixture of 50% perlite and 50% sphagnum peat moss, enough to fill the pot. Unless you received soil with your order, it is best to use that.
• Fill your chosen pot ¾ of the way with the soil mixture
• Remove your plant from the original pot
• Do NOT untangle or disturb the root system as this may cause issues in a few weeks and you may have a dead plant on your hands
• Place plant in the pot 
• Cover with soil until you can not see the roots
• If you place the roots too close to the bottom of the pot, you may risk under watering your plant since you feel to see if the soil is damp enough

Overall Miracle Berry Plant Care:

Water with filtered water or rain water only

• Depending on the size of pot and plant, you may need 1-2 waterings per week
• Water when the top 2 inches of the soil is dry and stop once you see water draining out of the bottom
• You may need to water more in the summer months than the winter months

Feeding the plant 

• We recommend a water-soluble fertilizer and follow the instructions on the back of the packaging
• You may need to feed more in the summer months than the winter months
• Over fertilizing will kill the plant
• Only fertilize when the soil is wet. Fertilizing when the soil is dry will hurt the plant
• You want a fertilizer that is 20-20-20 or 7-9-5 as others may be too much for your plant. Feed every other week after watering

Perfecting the Environment

• Creating humidity

• We recommend humidifiers as they can be easily hidden and refilled
• If you do not have one, do not fret. Place a plastic bag over the plant and periodically spray the inside. This will create its own environment on the inside for the perfect humidity
• You can also use the heat and steam from showers to give your plant some intense humidity and heat 
• Sunlight
• Place your plants in either bright filtered sunlight or bright direct sunlight. To achieve filtered sunlight, hang a sheer curtain as the sunlight will still shine through and reach the plant with less intensity. 
• pH Soil Levels
• The soil of the Miracle Fruit Plant should always be between 4.5 and 5.8. Failure to do so may result in a wilted, brown, sad plant. 
• When to check pH level: 
• When you see brown and/or crispy leaves
• We recommend purchasing a soil pH tester from your local hardware store to get accurate reading
• How to raise pH level: 
• Do not use anything with lime or a lime base
• Spread your post morning coffee grounds for the tree! Sprinkle grounds on the top of the soil and as they breakdown, it will make your soil more acidic
• How to lower pH level: 
• Add sphagnum peat moss to the top of the soil, around an inch, and work into the top layers of the soil
• Be careful not to disturb the roots

Once your plant begins flowering: 

• Your Miracle Fruit Plant will flower year round, but may not produce fruit until it is a mature age of 3 years and height around 2 feet. 
• Once your plant is at fruit bearing age, hand pollination is the best technique to ensure you get the most fruit out of your plant

Related: How to Preserve Miracle Fruit

How to hand pollinate:

• Gently shake the leaves back and forth when flowers are bloomed
• This will help the pollination process
• You can also run your hands over the plant, similar to running your hands through your hair, but very gently

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Tips: 

• When choosing a plant, you can estimate the age by the height. The Miracle Fruit Tree typically grows 12 inches per year. For example, if it says 12-18 inches in height, we can safely assume it may be around 1 to 1.5 years old
• When repotting your Miracle Fruit Plant, be sure to choose a pot that is 2 inches wider and taller than the current one. This will allow for growth vertically and horizontally. 
• After repotting your plant, you may see brown or yellow leaves. This is normal as the plant needs time to adjust and is in temporary shock. If it persists, you may need to change the soil or watering schedule. 
• Do not use a self watering mechanism as this may over or under water your plant.
• Mist leaves once a week to boost the humidity and encourage healthy growth on both green and brown leaves. This is a great way to ensure you are not overwatering your plant. 
• Your Miracle Fruit Tree can be placed outside on warm and sunny days, but not above 85 degree Fahrenheit. 
• We have found the best combination of soil is 50% perlite, 50% peat moss, and Sphagnum Moss sprinkled on top.
• Always allow your plants to relax after transferring them to a new pot. You do not want your plant to go into shock and do not transplant them too often. 

Related: 8 Miracle Berry Plant Issues and How to Treat