Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Carissa edulis - Caradas plum, simple-spined carissa

Edible parts - Fruit, Roots - spice, Flowers, Leaves

A shrub or small tree. It grows up to 1.5-5 m tall. It has green straggly branches. There are many spines 10-40 mm long. The spines are simple. The leaves are opposite one another. They have short stalks. The leaves are leathery and widest below the middle. The flowers are white and pink. The are in the shape of a tube and 18 mm long. They are crowded in the axils of leaves. The fruit occur as berries in pairs. They are round and about 1 cm across. They are waxy and dark red when ripe.  They have red sweet pulp.  The fruit are edible.

It is a tropical plant. It occurs in semi arid lowlands and in the highlands. They occur in regions with temperatures in the range 14-22°C. They occur from sea level to 2400 m but are more common at 800-1200 m altitude. It is damaged by frost but resistant to drought. They will grow on most soils. In Tanzania it grows in areas with a rainfall between 1,000-2,100 mm. They do not do well in wet areas. It can grow in arid places. It often grows on termite mounds. It suits hardiness zones 10-11. In Yunnan.