Carissa macrocarpa has
gorgeous fragrant flowers
to mask those wicked spines. The thorns will often help keep wayward
walkers from taking shortcuts. Carissa macrocarpa has white flowers
most of the year. The fruit of the Natal Plum is edible but the rest
of the plant is not. Carissa macrocarpa can form a dense hedge, or
if left un-pruned will grow to as much as 6 feet tall and 10 wide.
If sheared the cut margins of the leaves show for a long time and turn
gray. Carissa macrocarpa is more tolerant of salt than most plants
and is native to the coastal brush and dune areas of South Africa.
There are quite a few dwarf varieties such as Green Carpet, Tomlinson,
Tuttle, Boxwood Beauty, and Prostrata that typically grow to 2 feet
tall and 3 wide. Carissa macrocarpa does best in frost free gardens
but will survive temperatures into the 20's for short durations.
High resolution images
of Carissa macrocarpa are available
