Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Malpighia glabra - Barbados Cherry
Edible Portion: Fruit
A small evergreen tree or shrub. It grows up to 5-7 m high. It often has several trunks. The branches are spreading and often
drooping. The leaves are opposite and oval to sword shaped. They are 2-8 cm long by 1-4 cm wide. They can be wavy along
the edge. They are dark green and glossy. The leaf stalk is short. The flowers have both sexes. The flowering stalks are short
with 3-5 flowers. The flowers are 1-2 cm across. They are pinkish red. The fruit is bright red. It is 1-2 cm across and has
several small seeds. The fruit resemble a common cherry. But is has 3 grooves and 3 seeds. The fruit are carried on the
outside of the tree. The seeds are triangle shaped.