Accession Data

Malpighia glabra

Common Name: Barbados Cherry, Acerola

Family: Malpighiaceae

Country of Origin: Texas south to South America

Description: A tropical American tree. Fruit has a high vitamin C content and calcium and iron among its minerals. A slow grower which will reach 10 feet in a favorable environment, but only about 6 feet when container grown. Has a shrubby growth habit; young leaves are wine colored turning dark green. A tough, versatile plant that will grow in most soils, but will do better in a composted sandy loam. The thin-skinned fruit is cherry-like, red to crimson, semi-sweet to acid. Bears in its third year. Fruit is borne on previous year's growth and ripens a few days after flowering.

Accession Data

USDA Zone: 10-12

Accession #: 198500465

Accession Date: 1985-12-31 00:00:00

Bloom Status: 🪴 Not Flowering

Location: 1304

Quantity: 1

Source: Unknown

Culture: Propagation is by seeds but generally from cuttings in the summer and air layering.

Classification

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Subclass: eurosid I

Order: Malpighiales

Family: Malpighiaceae

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007

References

  1. Morton, J. 1987. Barbados Cherry. p. 204–207. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, FL. Last accessed on Monday, July 24, 2017.
  2. Acerola Fruit Facts at California Rare Fruit Growers. Last accessed on Monday, July 24, 2017.
  3. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Monday, July 24, 2017.
  4. Malpighia glabra at Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Last accessed on Monday, July 24, 2017.
  5. Image #00 (cropped) & #01 (original) by Eric Gaba (Sting - fr:Sting) (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons. Last accessed on Monday, July 24, 2017.

Images

Malpighia glabra
Malpighia glabra