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Names: |
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| Family | Apocynaceae. |
| Genus & Species | Carissa macrocarpa |
| AKA | Carissa grandiflora. |
| Common Name | Natal plum. |
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| Size/Shape | This is a splendid spiny shrub. Natal plum is a dense, closely branched spiny shrub or small tree. It responds well to close pruning and is easily kept at any size. A loose mounding shape. It has interestingly formed branches. Grows quickly. |
| Leaves | Small, shiny, leathery leaves. The dark glossy green leaves are ovate, 1-3 in (2.5-7.6 cm) long, thick and leathery, and arranged in opposing pairs. Forked spines, about 1-2 in (2.5-5.1 cm) long, arm the branches and the ends of the twigs. |
| Flowers | Small clusters of white flowers (each like a large Jasmine flower). An abundance of white starlike flowers with five thick and waxy petals. The flowers are about 2 in (5.1 cm) across. Fruits are 2 inches. In its homeland, the carissa is pollinated by small beetles and hawk-moths and other night-flying insects. Various degrees of unfruitfulness in America has been attributed to inadequate pollination. It has been found that unproductive plants, apparently self-infertile, will bear fruits after cross-pollination by hand. Seedlings begin to produce in 2 years. |
| Blooming Season | Blooms almost all year long and most of the time both flowers and fruit are present. It flowers from spring to midsummer. |
| Fragrance | Fragrant. Sweetly fragrant, like orange blossoms, especially at night. Deliciously fragrant blossoms. |
| Use | Large, edible, red-mauve fruits, rich in Vitamin C. Tastes like sweet cranberries. All parts of Natal plum are poisonous except for the ripe fruits. Even the seeds within the fruits are said to be poisonous. The large, oval red fruit is edible and is rich in Vitamin C, magnesium and phosphorus. As it ripens, the tender, smooth skin turns to a bright magenta-red coated with a thin, whitish bloom, and finally dark-crimson. The carissa must be fully ripe, dark-red and slightly soft to the touch to be eaten raw. |
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| Propagation | Cuttings or seeds. It is best grown from seed, but can also be grown from cuttings. Fill the seed tray with soil and compact lightly. Cover the seed with a thin layer of soil or compost and water well. Seeds germinate in 2 weeks but the seedlings grow very slowly at first and are highly variable. Vegetative propagation is preferred and can be done easily by air-layering, ground-layering, or shield-budding. Cuttings root poorly unless the tip of a young branchlet is cut half-way through and left attached to the plant for 2 months. After removal and planting in sand, it will root in about 30 days. |
| Soil | A sandy well-drained soil. Salt tolerant. Sand dunes. Good garden soil enriched with compost. Alkaline soil ok. On limestone ensure that trace elements are added. |
| Water | Drought tolerant. Dry in winter. Little to regular water in summer. It cannot stand water-logging. |
| Food | Seedlings can be fed with a liquid fertilizer. A standard, well-balanced fertilizer suffices except on limestone where trace elements must be added. |
| Pruning | Can be made into a bonsai. Broken twigs exude a white milky sap. It responds well to close pruning and is easily kept at any size. |
| Light | Full sun, but it tolerates partial shade. Full sun to semi-shade. Full sun to light shade. Tolerates a wide range of lighting conditions. Best growth in full sun. |
| Climate | Greenhouse. Zones 9-11. Not bothered by wind. |
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| Source to Buy | Chilterns seeds. |
| http://tinyurl.com/nzsrx | |
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