Abstract The fruits of jabuticaba trees are highly valued in Brazil and eaten fresh and processed. An alternative method to improve jabuticaba cultivation is to offer the fruit throughout the year. However, this requires more information about the buds, which are located close to the bark surface. In this way, the objective of this work was to characterize the origin and development of reproductive buds of jabuticaba cv. Sabara. We collected jabuticaba branches, peeled them, and investigated the origin of the flower sprouts. In addition, buds were collected at different stages of development in the main stem (trunk), fixed, and analyzed. Based on our results, vegetative buds are axillary and shown a primary origin. In contrast, reproductive buds grow in the bark of the branches and the trunk; they are a result of the cellular activity of vascular cambium and only occur after de development of the periderm and the formation of the rhytidome. The reproductive buds were divided in four different stages of development. Stage 0 was characterized by the absence of meristematic activity and stage 1 by the presence of a previous meristem oriented towards the outer bark, that marks the beginning of reproductive bud formation. In stages 2 we observed an increase in meristem dimensions, and at stage 3, the buds were completely developed. In March reproductive budburst led to a low intensity flowering and in August led to a high intensity flowering, due to climatic conditions that the buds were exposed.