NATAL PLUM ‘Carissa Macrocarpa’

The fruits have a sweet taste, they are edible, often with a flavor between the strawberry and the apple, they are rich in vitamin C. In South Africa, the species Carissa macrocarpa is known as Natal Plum, that is Natal plum. Apart from the fruit, the rest of the plant is poisonous. As well as fresh fruit or fruit salads, in some species the fruits are consumed immature in brine.

Fruits are very rich in vitamin C.

The plants of Carissa macrocarpa prefer sunny positions, but can also bear slightly shaded positions, even if poor lighting causes poor flowering. These plants fear frost, especially if prolonged, so they are grown in a sheltered place from the wind and frost; in areas with very harsh winters it is advisable to grow the carissa macrocarpa in a vase, so that it can be moved in a cold green house, or in a sheltered place, during the winter. These shrubs do not fear the salinity and the sea wind, therefore they can also be cultivated on the coasts.