Carissa macrocarpa
Carissa macrocarpa
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant mainly of the subtropical zone, where it is found at low elevations. It succeeds in a variety of climatic conditions and at a wide range of elevations and latitudes[1]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 23 - 28°c, but can tolerate 10 - 34°c[2]. Mature growth can be killed by temperatures of -5°c or lower, though young growth is killed at -3°c[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 800 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 600 - 1,800mm[2]. Prefers a fertile, moist soil in a sunny or lightly shaded position[3]. Succeeds in a range of soils[1]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 8[2]. Plants are tolerant of windy positions and salt spray[3]. Plants start bearing fruit when about 4 - 5 years old from seed, and about 2 - 3 years when vegetatively reproduced[1]. Plants can flower all year round[1, 4]. With its dimorphic flowers, C. macrocarpa is functionally dioecious[5]. Plants with short-styled flowers do, however, set occasional fruits[5]. There are some named varieties[6, 7].
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as ripe. Heeled, semi-ripe cuttings of side shoots[6]. Layering. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Carissa+macrocarpa>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics : an Inventory — Martin, F. W.; Campbell, C. W.; Rubertbe, R. M. · U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service · 1987 ↩︎A booklet giving terse details of almost 300 species of edible fruits, plus regional lists of Botanical and Common names for over 2,500 less well-known edible fruits of the tropics.
- [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [3]Tropical Ornamentals; A Guide — Whistler. W. Arthur. · Timber Press Inc. Oregon. · 2000 · ISBN 0-88192-448-2 ↩︎An excellent little guide to some of the more commonly cultivated ornamental plants of the Tropics, often giving some information on the plants other uses.
- [4]Trade Winds Fruit — http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/index.htm ↩︎The on-line catalogue of a company selling seeds. Gives descriptions, photos and uses of a very wide range of fruit and other food-producing plants plus ornamentals.
- [5]Flora Zambesiaca — http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html ↩︎An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
- [6]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [7]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
- [8]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
- [9]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.