Miconia ligustrina
Native to Colombia and Ecuador, this shrub or small tree grows in Andean forests and shrublands. Its small white flowers develop in branched clusters. The fleshy berries become white when ripe, sometimes with a pink or bluish tint, and contain juicy purple pulp. Their flavor is described as pleasantly sweet and tart, and they are eaten locally. The wood has been used to make tool handles. In Colombia’s Rabanal pĆ”ramo, flowering peaks during the drier season and fruit production increases with the rains, providing food for fruit-eating birds. Photographed in the eastern Andes mountain range of Colombia.
