Acerola, Barbados-cherry
A tropical plant. It is native to C and S America. It has poor cold tolerance but can withstand temperatures to near freezing. It can tolerate drought. It can grow with rainfalls around 1,200-1,600 mm per year. Roots are shallow so plants cannot withstand wind. It needs a sunny position for good fruit production. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.
Also known as:
Cereza, Shimarucu, Shimaruku, West Indian-cherry, West Indische kers
Synonyms
- Malpighia glabra hort., pro parte
- Malpighia berteroana Spreng.
- Malpighia lancifolia (Nied.) F. K.Mey
- Malpighia punicifolia auct.
- Malpighia punicifolia var. obovata Nied.
- Malpighia punicifolia var. vulgaris Nied.
- Malpighia retusa Benth.
- Malpighia umbellata Rose
Edible Portion
- Fruit
Where does Acerola grow?
Found in: Amazon, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Asia, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Lesser Antilles, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, South America, St. Lucia, Suriname, United States, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, West Indies
Notes: It is high in Vitamin C. Because of the high Ascorbic acid content the red colour of the fruit is reduced if fruit are stored or processed.
Status: It is a cultivated commercial crop in Mexico. The fruit are popular with children.
Growing Acerola, Barbados-cherry
Cultivation: Plants can be grown using seed, cuttings, and grafting. Seed are not always viable and cuttings are easy and improved with rooting hormone. It can be pruned to a shrub. It does best with regular irrigation if rainfall is low. It is suited to limed soils. Boron and iron deficiency can occur if not available.
Edible Uses: The fruit are eaten fresh and especially as juice. They are also used for jellies, preserves, desserts and toppings.
Production: Trees can fruit in 2-3 years. Trees yield well for 15-20 years and can last 40 years. Flowering can occur throughout the year but flushes occur in response to rain. Fruit develop to maturity in 25 days. There are usually 3 seeds which have fluted wings. Fruit deteriorate rapidly once removed from the tree. They can only be kept 3-4 days. Frozen fruit falls apart when thawed.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 32 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 77 | 1678 | 0.1 | 91.4 |
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