Carpobrotus edulis
| Carpobrotus edulis | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 0.3' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Carpobrotus edulis (common name: hottentot fig)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow March to June in a greenhouse. Lower night-time temperatures are beneficial. The seed usually germinates in 7 - 10 days at 23°c[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings at any time during the growing season. Allow the cutting to dry in the sun for a day or two then pot up in a very sandy mix. Very easy[K].
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained sandy soil in a sunny position[2][3]. Plants can be grown on dry walls or in the flower border[4]. Established plants are very drought resistant[3]. Very resistant to wind and salt spray[4]. Moderately fire-retardant[3].
Plants are not very frost resistant and can be killed by temperatures below about -2°c. They have naturalized themselves on cliffs along the coast of S. Britain but do not succeed inland unless grown in a sunny sheltered position[3].
A vigorous prostrate plant, rooting as it spreads. The flowers only open in the afternoon[3].
Range: S. Africa - Cape Province. Naturalized in Britain[5].
Habitat: Sandy and rocky places by the sea[6]. Naturalized on cliffs and banks by the sea in Cornwall and S. Devon[5].
Edibility: Fruit - raw, cooked, dried for later use or made into pickles, chutney etc[2][7][8][9][10][11]. There is very little flesh in the fruit and it must be fully ripe otherwise it is very astringent[K]. Mucilaginous and sweetly acid[11].
Leaves - raw or cooked[7][12]. Succulent, they are eaten in salads and can also be used as a substitute for pickled cucumber[11]. We find them too mucilaginous to be enjoyable[K].
Usage: Used in maritime areas to prevent soil erosion in sandy soils[13][3]. Plants form a dense carpet and make an effective ground cover[14].
Can be grown as a fire barrier in areas subject to forest fires, it is moderately fire retardant[3].
The dried leaves contain about 19.4% tannin and the dry stems 14.2%[15]. Yields of 1700 kilos per hectare of cultivated plants have been achieved[15].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Mesembryanthemum edulis.
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2. Pan Books, London, 1998.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Simmons, Alan. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles, 1972.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Crowe, Andrew. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Rottsieper, E. Vegetable Tannins. The Forestal Land, 1946.