Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Shrub
Shrub
Origin
Southern Africa
Central America, South America
Types
Carissa bispinosa, Carissa carandas
Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
202
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Tropical regions
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
-
Sunset Zone
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm243.84 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Red
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Elliptic and Ovate
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Shade areas
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Dry, Sandy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Thripes, Whiteflies
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas
Wind
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
Toxic
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bonsai, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa
Malpighia emarginata
Common Name
Carissia
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
In Hindi
Carissa
Acerola Tree
In German
carissa
Acerola Baum
In French
carissa
Acerola Arbre
In Spanish
carissa
Árbol de acerola
In Greek
carissa
Acerola Δέντρο
In Portuguese
carissa
Árvore acerola
In Polish
carissa
Acerola Drzewo
In Latin
carissa
Acerola ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Gentianales
Malpighiales
Family
Apocynaceae
Malpighiaceae
Genus
Carissa
Malpighia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Carisseae
-
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
Paperveroideae
Number of Species
100-
1
27800
👆🏻