Bow wood, Four Corners, Cross-berry

A tropical plant. It is common in forest and scrub. It grows in areas with modest rainfall. It grows from sea level to 1500 m altitude in South Africa. In Zimbabwe it grows above 1,400 m above sea level. Plants can grow in the sun or partial shade. It needs fertile, well-drained soil. It can tolerate frost. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. In Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

Also known as:

Basbessie, Broodjie, Cross berry, Dadels, Kruisbessie, Liklolo, Motsotsojane, Mumaka, Musosobiana, Star-flower, Umnqabaza, Umnqabalaza, Umsosobiyane

Synonyms

Grewia chirindae Bak.f.

Grewia microphylla Weim.

Grewia rudatisii Burret

Edible Portion

Fruit, Leaves

Where does Bow wood grow?

Found in: Africa, Australia, Botswana, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Hawaii, Mozambique, Namibia, Pacific, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, United States, Zimbabwe

Notes: There are about 200 Grewia species. They are mostly tropical. The fruit of most may be edible. These were in the Sparrmanniaceae and the Tiliaceae.

Growing Bow wood, Four Corners, Cross-berry

Cultivation: It can be grown from seed. Seeds germinate easily and plants transplant easily. Plants can also be grown from cuttings or layering.

Edible Uses: The ripe fruit are eaten raw. The juice is used fresh or fermented. They are also cooked in milk to make a drink.

Production: It is fast growing in the early stage. A fruit weighs about 1 g.

Nutrition Info

per 100g edible portion

Edible Part	Energy (kcal)	Protein (g)	Iron (mg)	Vitamin A (ug)	Vitamin c (mg)	Zinc (mg)	% Water
Fruit	258	2.8	-	-	18.4	1.1	12.6

References

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