Maqui

Chilean Wineberry, Maqui Berry Maqui

Aristotelia chilensis

Aristotelia chilensis

_Aristotelia chilensis_, commonly known as Maqui, is a fast-growing evergreen shrub or small tree found in the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina. It usually reaches 4–5 meters in height and has slender branches covered with opposite, serrated leaves that are bright green and glossy.

From late spring to early summer, Maqui produces small, star-shaped white to greenish flowers that later give way to deep purple-black berries. These fruits have long been consumed by Indigenous Mapuche people for nourishment and medicine, and today are widely recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Maqui thrives in sunny clearings and forest edges, where its fruit attracts birds that aid in seed dispersal.