Canary flora > Exotic and ornamental
Carissa macrocarpa
Carissa macrocarpa (Eckl.) A.DC.
Natal Plum
Evergreen thorny shrub up to 2 m high, highly branched and compact, with
long, robust thorns up to 4 cm long, located at the ends of the
branches, and generally bifurcated.
When broken, the branches release a whitish, toxic latex, similar to that of ficus.
The shiny dark green leaves, 2-7 cm long and 1-4 cm wide, are simple, opposite, alternate, ovate, rounded at the base and pointed at the apex, with secondary nerves that usually end in a thorn..
When broken, the branches release a whitish, toxic latex, similar to that of ficus.
The shiny dark green leaves, 2-7 cm long and 1-4 cm wide, are simple, opposite, alternate, ovate, rounded at the base and pointed at the apex, with secondary nerves that usually end in a thorn..
Its aromatic flowers are arranged in axillary fascicles with 1-3 flowers
each, which are white or pinkish in colour and about 5 cm in diameter,
with a calyx up to 5 mm long, with linear lobes, and a corolla
consisting of a tube 1-2 cm long, topped by five narrow lobes that
overlap each other in an anti-clockwise direction.
The fruits are large berries about 5 cm in diameter, ovoid to almost globular, fleshy, indehiscent, green at first and red to purplish when ripe.
The fruits are large berries about 5 cm in diameter, ovoid to almost globular, fleshy, indehiscent, green at first and red to purplish when ripe.
Flowering occurs over many months of the year, as does fruiting, so it
is common to see flowering and fruiting bushes at the same time.
It reproduces by seed, and by cuttings from branches that are not yet woody. It is slow growing.
This species is native to Mozambique, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, where it grows in coastal thickets, even in dune areas.
In some of these places it is widely cultivated as a fruit tree.
It reproduces by seed, and by cuttings from branches that are not yet woody. It is slow growing.
This species is native to Mozambique, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, where it grows in coastal thickets, even in dune areas.
In some of these places it is widely cultivated as a fruit tree.
