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Malpighia glabra
Barbados cherry tree (Acerola)
€20.00
VAT included
Fast and safe delivery throughout Europe
Our commitments
- 100% French production
- Without fertilizers or chemicals
- Plant growth rate respected
- Not grafted, not hybridized
Caractéristiques de la plante
- Malpighia glabra : Barbados cherry tree (Acerola)
- Family: Malpighiaceae
- Origin : Texas, Caribbean
- Height in its natural environment : 4 m
- Hardiness : -1°C
- Colour of the flower : pink
Height : about 10 to 20 cm (depending on seasons)
Learn more about Barbados cherry tree (Acerola)
Here is a superfruit par excellence: the Acerola or Barbados cherry.
Also known as Wild crapemyrtle, the Malpighia glabra's fruit, small, bright red fruit that resembles a cherry (hence its nickname the Barbados cherry) is a superfood: it contains nearly 30 times more vitamin C than oranges, boosts the immune system, and has both antioxidant and invigorating properties to help tired bodies recover or as a preventive measure against winter illnesses. It has a tart flavor and is often eaten with sugar or used in jellies and compotes.
However, you’ll have a hard time finding this berry in stores; acerola is very delicate and sensitive to heat, so it must be consumed immediately after picking and is difficult to preserve in its natural state. You’re more likely to find it in juice form, as the acerola berries are pressed or blended right after harvest.
The Acerola tree is a tree with magnificent blooms; its small flowers range in color from candy pink to violet-pink, with beautifully lacy petals surrounding bright golden-yellow stamens. Its flowers are very nectar-rich, attracting bees and butterflies that come to feast on them. Malpighia glabra can be planted to form garden hedges in regions with mild winters (it tolerates drought but struggles with cold), or grown indoors, where it can even be trained as a bonsai.
You’ll be able to enjoy Barbados cherry as early as the second or third year, since the Wild crapemyrtle tree can bear fruit for most of the year. What’s more, its acerola berries ripen very quickly—they’ll be ready to eat just 3 to 4 weeks after flowering!!
So, don’t hesitate to grow your own Malpighia glabra—that way, you can enjoy fresh acerola berries instead of settling for store-bought juice!!
Conseils de culture
Rempoter ?
Arroser ?
Apport d'éléments nutritifs ?
Plante d'intérieur ou plante d'extérieur ?
Que faire en cas de maladie ?
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Malpighia glabra, growing tips
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Repotting -
Watering -
For an indoor planting -
For an outdoor planting -
Pruning -
Fertilizer -
In case of pest attack -
Rayon de Serre's word
When you receive your plant, repot it in a pot slightly larger than the bucket, which must be well pierced. Avoid pot covers which prevent residual water from draining away and encourage fungal diseases. Choose a fine potting soil, ideally with added perlite or sand to lighten the substrate (do not use garden soil or acidic soil such as heather). Then plan two repottings per year (spring and autumn), gradually increasing the size of the pot and adapting it to the size of the root network (the roots must have room, but not too much as the plant must be able to dry out its substrate between waterings). This avoids having to add fertilizer, which always risks burning the fragile roots of the plants and making the plant wither as soon as the fertilizer is stopped.
Moderate watering: watering should be copious (the whole root ball should be wet), but wait until the substrate has dried deeply before watering again (you can stick your finger in the soil: as long as you feel moisture, do not water). Your plant will recover better from a lack of water than from an excess of water. Always water at the base of the plant, and do not mist it, because stagnant water in the armpit of the leaves favors cryptogamic diseases. If your atmosphere is too dry, put bowls of water nearby (above radiators for example), so that evaporation humidifies the air.
Your plant is best taken out in summer, full sun is perfect for it. It should be brought indoors in winter, and ideally placed in a warm and luminous place, like in a veranda or behind a window. It fears excessive humidity when temperatures are low, so avoid cold rooms. Attention: do not take it out and bring it in all the time, it should be taken out in good weather, then brought in when the cold weather arrives, because plants adapt their foliage to their environment, which should not constantly change. It often happens that plants lose their foliage when they are taken out and/or put in, don't worry, your plant will adapt and will emit its new foliage accordingly.
If your climate allows it, you will be able to plant your plant in full ground, a full sun is recommended. We advise you however to cultivate it in pot the first year and to make it spend the first winter in the heat, in order to strengthen it well. Plant it between the end of the risk of frost (generally at the beginning of May) and the end of August, in a soil which must be light and draining; do not hesitate to add sand and fine potting soil if necessary. Be careful with the minimum temperatures indicated: they are given for a mature plant, and you have to take into account the wind which accentuates the cold felt, as well as the water retention capacity of your soil, which can rot the roots if it is not sufficiently draining. So take a little safety margin!
This plant is very easy to prune, which will make it branch out.
Our plants are grown naturally, without chemical fertilizers, so we advise you to repot them regularly (twice a year) rather than adding fertilizer.
If your plants are under attack by aphids or other pests, the best way to control them is by hand. Change their soil, remove as many undesirables as possible by hand and then shower your plants with a strong stream of water to eliminate any eggs that may be present. Spray them (insist on the underside of the leaves) with liquid black soap diluted in water. Repeat the operation several times at a few days interval. Take them outside in good weather, rain, sun and wind will kill most of the aggressors!
The Barbados cherry tree grows slowly but bears fruit very quickly. Harvest the fruit as soon as it becomes soft, and eat it right away.
- Repotting
- Watering
- For an indoor planting
- For an outdoor planting
- Pruning
- Fertilizer
- In case of pest attack
- Rayon de Serre's word
When you receive your plant, repot it in a pot slightly larger than the bucket, which must be well pierced. Avoid pot covers which prevent residual water from draining away and encourage fungal diseases. Choose a fine potting soil, ideally with added perlite or sand to lighten the substrate (do not use garden soil or acidic soil such as heather). Then plan two repottings per year (spring and autumn), gradually increasing the size of the pot and adapting it to the size of the root network (the roots must have room, but not too much as the plant must be able to dry out its substrate between waterings). This avoids having to add fertilizer, which always risks burning the fragile roots of the plants and making the plant wither as soon as the fertilizer is stopped.
Moderate watering: watering should be copious (the whole root ball should be wet), but wait until the substrate has dried deeply before watering again (you can stick your finger in the soil: as long as you feel moisture, do not water). Your plant will recover better from a lack of water than from an excess of water. Always water at the base of the plant, and do not mist it, because stagnant water in the armpit of the leaves favors cryptogamic diseases. If your atmosphere is too dry, put bowls of water nearby (above radiators for example), so that evaporation humidifies the air.
Your plant is best taken out in summer, full sun is perfect for it. It should be brought indoors in winter, and ideally placed in a warm and luminous place, like in a veranda or behind a window. It fears excessive humidity when temperatures are low, so avoid cold rooms. Attention: do not take it out and bring it in all the time, it should be taken out in good weather, then brought in when the cold weather arrives, because plants adapt their foliage to their environment, which should not constantly change. It often happens that plants lose their foliage when they are taken out and/or put in, don't worry, your plant will adapt and will emit its new foliage accordingly.
If your climate allows it, you will be able to plant your plant in full ground, a full sun is recommended. We advise you however to cultivate it in pot the first year and to make it spend the first winter in the heat, in order to strengthen it well. Plant it between the end of the risk of frost (generally at the beginning of May) and the end of August, in a soil which must be light and draining; do not hesitate to add sand and fine potting soil if necessary. Be careful with the minimum temperatures indicated: they are given for a mature plant, and you have to take into account the wind which accentuates the cold felt, as well as the water retention capacity of your soil, which can rot the roots if it is not sufficiently draining. So take a little safety margin!
This plant is very easy to prune, which will make it branch out.
Our plants are grown naturally, without chemical fertilizers, so we advise you to repot them regularly (twice a year) rather than adding fertilizer.
If your plants are under attack by aphids or other pests, the best way to control them is by hand. Change their soil, remove as many undesirables as possible by hand and then shower your plants with a strong stream of water to eliminate any eggs that may be present. Spray them (insist on the underside of the leaves) with liquid black soap diluted in water. Repeat the operation several times at a few days interval. Take them outside in good weather, rain, sun and wind will kill most of the aggressors!
The Barbados cherry tree grows slowly but bears fruit very quickly. Harvest the fruit as soon as it becomes soft, and eat it right away.
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Malpighia glabra