Carissa Grandiflora Natal Plum
Carissa Grandiflora commonly known as Natal Plum. It is beautiful shrub with a habit of fast growing. It is also good as hedging plant, because of its large sized thorns.
This moderately fast-growing, evergreen shrub has lustrous, leathery, rich green, oval leaves and spines along its branches. It is hard to find a plant with darker green leaves. Flowers are somewhat fragrant, white, and star-shaped. The bright red, edible, plum-shaped fruit tastes like cranberries and can be used to make jam. Flowers and fruit are quite showy and are often borne on the plant simultaneously.
Natal Plum will tolerate a variety of soils and exposures and only needs light pruning. Useful as a screen or hedge, it should not be planted too closely to walkways where its large, forked thorns can injure passersby. It makes a nice, full foundation shrub. While it thrives in full sun, natal plum can adapt to fairly heavy shade and requires only moderate watering and fertilization. Plant on three to six-foot centers for a hedge or mass planting, closer for the compact cultivars. Dwarf cultivars such as ‘Green Carpet’, ‘Horizontalis’, and ‘Prostrata’ make excellent ground covers.
Carissa Grandiflora Natal Plum Propagation
Carissa Grandiflora Propagation is by seed or cuttings.
Carissa Grandiflora Diseases
- Natal Plum is relatively pest-free.
- Natal Plum is susceptible to root rot when plants are overwatered.
Carissa Grandiflora Natal Plum Features
- Leaf arrangement: opposite/subopposite
- Leaf type: simple
- Leaf margin: terminal spine
- Leaf shape: ovate
- Leaf venation: pinnate
- Leaf type and persistence: evergreen
- Leaf blade length: 2 to 4 inches
- Leaf color: green
- Fall color: no fall color change
- Fall characteristic: not showy Flower
- Flower color: white
- Flower characteristic: summer flowering; pleasant fragrance
- Trunk/bark/branches: not particularly showy; typically multi-trunked or clumping stems
- Current year stem/twig color: green
- Current year stem/twig thickness: medium
Carissa Grandiflora Natal Plum Culture
- Light requirement: plant grows in part shade/part sun
- Soil tolerances: clay; sand; acidic; alkaline; loam
- Drought tolerance: high
- Soil salt tolerances: good
- Plant spacing: 36 to 60 inches
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