Barbados cherry, Acerola

Where does Barbados cherry grow?

Found in: Africa, Amazon, Antilles, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America, China, Colombia, Congo DR, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jamaica, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Pohnpei, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South America, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, United States (Texas), Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies

Notes: The fruit are rich in Vit C (when green), Vit A, iron and calcium. They can contain 50-65 x the Vit C of oranges. There are 200-300 mg per 10 g acerola or 5 times the daily requirement.

Status: It is grown in Puerto Rico and exported to the USA as juice or frozen fruit. It is a cultivated food plant.

Growing Barbados cherry, Acerola

Cultivation: They can be grown from hardwood cuttings or budded onto seedlings. They can also be grown by ground layering. Plants can be grown from seed. Seed germinate poorly. A spacing of 3-4 m is suitable. Cross pollination is needed for good fruit production.

Edible Uses: The fruit are eaten fresh or used in juice. They can be used for wine. They can be used in jellies, jams and preserves. The sauce or puree can be used as a topping for cakes, puddings, ice cream or sliced bananas. Caution: Acerola can produce an allergic reaction similar to that of latex.

Production: Trees bear in 3-4 years. They continue for 15 years. Flowering normally follows periods of rainfall. There can be several flowering and fruiting periods per year. Flowers are pollinated by insects. Fruit can ripen in 3-4 weeks. Fruits loose their flavour and nutritional value rapidly after harvest. They should be picked and eaten within a few hours. Individual trees can yield 15-30 kg of fruit per year.

Nutrition Info

Barbados cherry, Acerola Photos

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