Governor’s Plum (Flacourtia indica): Nutrition, Benefits and Uses

Governor’s plum grows wild across tropical Africa, Madagascar and southern and Southeast Asia. Over the past century it has spread to gardens and hedgerows in Florida, Hawaii and other warm places. It goes by many names, including Indian plum, Madagascar plum, batoka plum and ramontchi, which can make the research hard to follow.

This guide explains what’s actually known about Flacourtia indica. It covers what the fruit is like, what scientists have measured in it and what the health research does and doesn’t show. It also explains how to eat, buy and grow it safely. For more tropical fruits, see our fruits guides.

What governor’s plum looks and tastes like

Governor’s plum is a small round berry, usually about 0.4 to 0.8 in (1 to 2 cm) across. It turns from green to red and then to a deep purple or nearly black when fully ripe. Inside is juicy, yellowish to reddish flesh with 6 to 10 small, flat seeds.

Ripe fruit tastes sweet with a sharp, slightly sour edge. Underripe fruit is noticeably astringent: it leaves a dry, puckering feeling in your mouth.

The plant itself is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can reach about 33 ft (10 m). It has sharp spines on the trunk and branches, and leathery, toothed leaves. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants, so only female trees bear fruit.

Flacourtia indica nutrition: what’s actually known

There’s no entry for governor’s plum in USDA FoodData Central or other major food composition tables, so reliable nutrition facts don’t exist yet. A handful of small lab studies have analyzed the fruit, but they used different methods and don’t always say whether their figures are for fresh or dried fruit.

The most detailed recent analysis, from fruit collected in West Bengal, India, reported these values per 100 g:

Source: Mal et al. (2025), Prospects in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The study doesn’t say whether these values are for fresh or partly dried fruit; a moisture of about 42% is far lower than most fresh berries (usually 80–90%), so treat the figures as rough. We haven’t calculated % Daily Values for this reason.

What the studies agree on is that the fruit, and especially its dark skin, is rich in plant compounds called polyphenols, including anthocyanins, the pigments that give it its purple color. One Sri Lankan study found the peel had far more of these compounds than the seeds. Vitamin C and mineral content haven’t been reliably measured, so be wary of any website that gives exact figures for them.

Flacourtia indica health benefits

No study has tested governor’s plum in people. Everything below comes from animal or lab research, usually using concentrated extracts. Each benefit carries an evidence label, explained in our editorial policy.

Antioxidant compounds in the fruit Limited evidence

Extracts of the fruit and peel neutralize free radicals in test tubes, which is what “antioxidant activity” usually means in these studies. That’s a property of the compounds in a lab, not proof that eating the fruit protects you from disease. Many dark-colored fruits, such as blueberries and blackberries, show similar results.

Heart protection in rats Limited evidence

The most detailed study of the fruit itself looked at heart damage in rats. Rats given a fruit extract had less heart injury from a heart-stressing drug, and their markers of inflammation and oxidative stress were lower.

Blood sugar enzymes in lab tests Limited evidence

In test-tube studies, fruit extracts slowed two digestive enzymes, alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, that break down starch into sugar. Some diabetes medicines work on the same enzymes. Leaf extracts have also lowered blood sugar in diabetic rats. None of this has been tested in people, so the fruit shouldn’t be used to manage diabetes.

Liver effects of leaf extracts in rats Limited evidence

Several rat studies found that extracts of the leaves or other above-ground parts reduced liver damage caused by drugs such as paracetamol (acetaminophen). These studies used parts of the plant people don’t normally eat, at concentrated doses.

Traditional uses of Flacourtia indica

Across Africa and Asia, almost every part of the plant has a place in folk medicine. These uses are recorded by ethnobotanists, but they haven’t been tested in clinical trials.

• Fruit: eaten for nausea, vomiting and “bilious” stomach complaints; ripe fruit used as a liver tonic in Sri Lanka, and for jaundice in Tanzania.
• Leaves: dried leaves for coughs, asthma and bronchitis; fresh leaf juice for fevers.
• Bark: an infusion gargled for hoarseness, and rubbed on in oil for joint pain.
• Roots: used for kidney complaints, intestinal worms and coughs.

Traditional use tells researchers where to look. It doesn’t tell you what dose is safe or whether a remedy works, so we don’t recommend using the leaves, bark or roots at home.

Who should be careful

The ripe fruit has been eaten for generations and is generally considered safe as food. The main risks come from medicinal use of other plant parts, and from foraging.

How to eat and use governor’s plum

Pick or buy fruit that’s deep purple or nearly black and slightly soft. Red or firm fruit is underripe and will taste astringent. Rinse the berries, then eat them whole, spitting out the small seeds, or squeeze the flesh away from them.

• Fresh: as a snack, or scattered over yogurt, oatmeal or fruit salad.
• Jams and jellies: the most popular use. The tart flavor works well with sugar; strain out the seeds after cooking.
• Stewed or in sauces: cook the berries with a little sugar for a sauce to serve with pancakes, or with savory dishes as you would cranberry sauce.
• Dried or fermented: the fruit is dried for storage in some regions and made into a homemade wine.

You’re unlikely to find governor’s plum in US supermarkets. Look for it in backyards and farmers’ markets in South Florida and Hawaii in season, or at markets serving South Asian and African communities. Ripe berries are soft and don’t keep well: refrigerate them and use within two or three days, or freeze them for jam.

Growing governor’s plum

Governor’s plum grows easily in frost-free climates (USDA hardiness zones 10 to 12) and tolerates drought and poor, sandy soil. Its spines make it a popular hedge plant. Plants are either male or female and only females bear fruit, so you’ll usually need both. Ask the nursery which you’re buying.

In Florida, check before you plant. The University of Florida’s invasive plant assessment rates it “Caution: manage to prevent escape” in Central and South Florida, because birds spread the seeds into natural areas. The Florida Invasive Species Council lists it as a Category II invasive. If you grow it there, pick fruit promptly and remove seedlings that pop up.

Governor’s plum vs similar fruits

Several small tropical “plums” get mixed up in shops and online articles. Here’s how governor’s plum compares with three that US readers are more likely to meet.

Because Java plum and Natal plum have USDA entries, you can see their full nutrition labels in our food nutrition lookup. Don’t use their numbers for governor’s plum: they’re different plants.

Flacourtia indica FAQ