I agree: manzanitas are spectacular; it only recently occurred to me that I could grow them on my hillside. I see them so often in the chaparral that having them in a domestic garden never occurred to me. The nursery I got them from has dozens of varieties: from high-mountain ecosystems all the way down to desert varieties. They also have a number of hybrids/crosses. I tried to get the fastest-growing varieties.
Suriname cherries (aka, Pitanga or Brazilian cherry) have a more tropical taste. From what I remember, it had the texture of a lowquat with similar flavor (like a cross between a peach and a mango, but juicier). With the wild-growing varieties, the darker (almost black) variety is preferred for its sweetness. The trees I got are a cultivated (and grafted) variety that has bright red cherries. Very tasty (though YMMV-- taste is a subjective thing).
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Suriname cherries (aka, Pitanga or Brazilian cherry) have a more tropical taste. From what I remember, it had the texture of a lowquat with similar flavor (like a cross between a peach and a mango, but juicier). With the wild-growing varieties, the darker (almost black) variety is preferred for its sweetness. The trees I got are a cultivated (and grafted) variety that has bright red cherries. Very tasty (though YMMV-- taste is a subjective thing).