If you want a nice, low-growing tropical fruit tree that's quite
colorful in fruit, plant Barbados cherries. The Barbados cherry or acerola,
Malpighia glabra, (also known as M. punicifolia), is native
to the West Indies, and it's a favorite in landscapes for specimen plants
or for hedges.
Barbados cherries have deep green shiny leaves varying in size and
shape, but usually at least two inches or more in length. Plants grow well
over a wide range of soil conditions, but do prefer acid soils for best growth
and production. Barbados cherry grows to a height of about 18 feet and about
the same spread, but can be kept very small and still produce plenty of
delicious cherries.
Attractive tiny pink flowers are produced throughout the year, generally
from early spring through late fall, and the fruits mature about four to
six weeks after flowering. Fruits generally are an inch or more across,
bright red with three large-lobed seeds in the center. The flesh is usually
yellow-range in color and contains a very high content of vitamin C, and
it is raised commercially for vitamin C.
Generally plants grow rapidly, often three to four feet a year, and
for this reason they make good screens or hedges. Best growth is obtained
in full sun, but they will grow in light shade, too, although fruiting may
be less in the shade.
Most Barbados cherries have few problems with cold weather, and they
will tolerate about 30°F before suffering damage. Fruits are often attacked
by bugs and, of course, birds. Nematodes may be a problem on sandy soils,
and heavy mulching is recommended to help discourage these pests. .
Most Barbados cherries are easily rooted from cuttings, or they can
be airlayered and these methods are used most by nurseries. Seed-propagated
acerolas generally have slow poor growth and may have sour inferior fruit.
There are a number of named varieties of this West Indian cherry, such
as 'Florida Sweet' or 'B-17', and the types of Barbados cherries with larger
fruit often have sweeter fruit as compared to the small-fruited types.
The amount of vitamin C in the fruit is highest on the smaller-size
fruits that are more acid. For eating out-of-hand, though, many people prefer
the sweeter clones even though they have less vitamin C. Most varieties of
acerola contain at least the minimum adult daily requirement of vitamin C,
so if you don't like taking vitamin tablets, simply eat a Barbados cherry
every day to get your vitamin C.
© 2000 BGCII Page posted March 2004
