Fruit and Nut Trees

by steve stamos

The Barbados cherry is a small, 3-4m, evergreen fruit tree from Central America. A very decorative fruit tree specimen with its dense cover of glossy, dark green leaves with a pink tinge when new. The beautiful pink-purple flowers turn into ripe bright red, juicy, thin-skinned, cherry-like fruits, 2.5cm in diameter within weeks. The tree will flower and fruit two or three times a year.

Taste of the fruit varies from acid to sweet depending upon variety. Rainfall greatly increases the quantity and size of fruit during the setting and developing period. However, excessive rain may cause splitting of fruit that is almost ripe. The fruit is very high in vitamin C, containing twenty to fifty times more vitamin than orange juice. The fruit is used as a table fruit, for drinks, jams, preserves and wine. The fresh fruit has a shot keeping life and should be used as soon as possible after harvest.

The tree likes a frost free site, good drainage and moisture during flowering. Fertilize in early spring and through summer using well rotted animal manure mixed with mulch and prune in autumn thinning growth at the top to promote side branching. Barbados cherry can be propagated by hardwood cuttings or can be budded onto seedlings. Plants should begin to bear in their second year from planting out. Pests include scale insects and nematodes in poor soils. No major disease affects fruit production.

acerola
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