Native & adapted

Barbados cherry

Malpighia emarginata

Also known as Acerola · West Indian cherry · Malpighia glabra

A bushy shrub that fruits in flushes for much of the warm season. Its bright red cherries are among the richest sources of vitamin C of any fruit.

EdibleFruitingPollinatorHedgeContainer friendly

Landscape layersUnderstory · Hedging

Mature size

6–10 ft tall and 6–10 ft wide

Climate fit

Urban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b

Plant spacing

6–8 ft apart; 4 ft apart for a hedge

Frost

Leaves damaged near 30°F; plants freeze back below about 28°F.

Special categories

EDIBLE · POLLINATOR ATTRACTING

Hardiness guidance

USDA 9b–11; damaged below about 28°F

Winter chill

None

Typical harvest

Repeated flushes from spring through fall, about 3 to 4 weeks after each bloom.

Before you plant

These conditions determine whether it will thrive.

Soil chemistry

Fast-draining soil rich in compost. Phoenix soil is alkaline, so work in soil sulfur and organic matter and use chelated iron if new leaves turn yellow between the veins.

Required microclimate

Placement is part of the growing system.

East-facing bed or edge of a nurse tree canopy, protected from frost.

Cold hardiness

Cover in a hard freeze below 30°F

Young plants are killed by any drop below 30°F, while mature shrubs survive brief exposure to 28°F. Cover young plants every frost night and established ones when a hard freeze is forecast.

Leaves and wood: damaged below 30°F

Heat tolerance

Shade from late-afternoon sun

Takes full sun or part shade and tolerates long droughts, though it may stop fruiting until water returns. In Phoenix an east-facing bed or the edge of a larger tree spares it the worst afternoon sun, and it is not salt tolerant, so leach the soil.

Sources:

hort.purdue.edu , edis.ifas.ufl.edu

Right plant, right place

Will Barbados cherry grow at your Arizona property?

Works as an edible hedge or a small standard tree. Fruit is soft and spoils quickly after picking.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b.

Light

Sun exposure

Full sun to afternoon shade. Afternoon shade in midsummer keeps fruit from scorching.

Water

Irrigation

Moderate. Deep water once or twice a week in summer.

Fruit set

Pollination

Partly self-fertile; two plants set more fruit. Native bees visit the pink flowers.

Harvest

How to use it

Fresh, juiced, or made into jelly. Freezes well without losing vitamin C.

Planting & stewardship

How to help Barbados cherry thrive

1
Feed lightly every 6 to 8 weeks from spring to fall.
2
Mulch to keep roots cool and moist.
3
Prune to shape after a fruit flush.
4
Cover on frost nights.

Read the horticultural reference ↗