Botanical Encyclopedia / Camu Camu

Camu Camu (Myrciaria dubia)

In Peru, “camu camu” is the local colloquial term for the Myrciaria dubia, a shrub native to the western region of the Amazon. It thrives in floodplain zones, where it remains submerged underwater for several months at a time.

This wild jungle berry is one of the highest recorded sources of vitamin C – more than oranges or lemons, and even acerola fruit. The fruit also contains other vitamins, minerals, natural rutin, and bioflavonoids. This species occurs naturally and abundantly along rivers and oxbow lakes in Peru, Amazonian Brazil, and Venezuela, where the shrubs can be submerged for as long as five months.