Photo: Forest & Kim Starr / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Natal Plum

Carissa macrocarpa

A dense, glossy, armed shrub with fragrant white star flowers and edible red fruit; it handles salt and drought well, but its forked spines demand careful siting.

Mature size1–3 m tall, 1–3 m spreadGrowthModerateSunFull sunWaterLow

Heat: 4 of 5

Salt: 4 of 5

Drought: 4 of 5

Shade: 2 of 5

Ease of care: 4 of 5

Use in a design Get it looked after

Season

Through the Dubai year

How Natal Plum behaves through Dubai's seasons, month by month.

JJan

FFeb

MMar

AApr

MMay

JJun

JJul

AAug

SSep

OOct

NNov

DDec

Avg high °C

24°

26°

29°

34°

38°

40°

42°

40°

36°

31°

27°

Best planting window

Oct – Dec

Jan – Mar

Fragrant white star flowers

Mar – May

Red plum-like fruit ripens through the year

Jan – Dec

Prune after spring flowering

Light balanced feed

Check for scale insects

May – Sep

Best planting window: Oct–Mar
Plant in the cool season in well-drained soil.
Fragrant white star flowers: Mar–May
The main spring flush; flowers can recur through the year. UAE timing is not well documented.
Red plum-like fruit ripens through the year: Jan–Dec
University of Florida notes the fruit ripens throughout the year; ripe fruit is edible.
Prune after spring flowering: Apr–May
Remove no more than the top third and wear protective clothing; keep the top narrower than the base.
Light balanced feed: Mar, Sep
Check for scale insects: May–Sep
Florida red scale is the main pest listed by University of Florida.

Natal plum stays dark, glossy and evergreen through every month in Dubai, so the hedge line barely changes with the seasons. White, fragrant star flowers open mainly in spring, though University of Florida and NC State both note that flowering and fruiting can continue through much of the year, so a plant often carries flowers, green fruit and ripe red fruit together. Pruning straight after the spring flush, removing no more than the top third, keeps the shape tight, and summer asks little more than a few deep soaks.

Meet the plant

Meet the Natal Plum

Meet natal plum, a shrub that defends itself and still manages to be generous. Dense, glossy, dark green leaves form a tight, clippable mass, and among them sit white, star-shaped flowers with a jasmine-like scent, followed by red, plum-shaped fruit. Flowers, ripe fruit and green fruit often appear on the same plant, so a healthy specimen has a layered, jewelled look that few hedging plants match.

The generosity comes with forked spines up to about an inch and a half long, which is what makes it an effective security hedge and an awkward choice beside a footpath or a play area. It is also unusually tough in salt and heat: University of Florida describes it as highly drought and salt tolerant, and recommends it for coastal planting.

Used with respect for its thorns, it is a tidy, scented, evergreen barrier that asks for little water and gives edible fruit.

Carissa macrocarpa, the natal plum or amatungulu, is a compact, spiny evergreen shrub from South Africa, long sold under the older name Carissa grandiflora. University of Florida gives its size a wide range, from 2 to 20 feet, with dense, rounded growth and glossy, leathery leaves. In Dubai it is used as a clipped hedge, a security screen, a foundation planting or a pot plant, with dwarf forms for low edges. Left unclipped it settles into a rounded, spreading mound; clipped, it holds a crisp, formal edge, so one plant suits both a relaxed coastal scheme and a tailored one.

The flowers are white, star-shaped and fragrant, around 2 inches wide in University of Florida's description, and the fruit is a red, plum-like berry about 2 inches long that is edible when ripe, with a flavour NC State compares to raspberry and cranberry. Both flowers and fruit can appear through much of the year. Sharp, forked spines up to about 1.5 inches long cover the stems.

Its tolerance is what makes it useful in Dubai. University of Florida rates it highly drought tolerant and highly salt tolerant, with good soil salt tolerance, and the Abu Dhabi Municipality's 2012 plant index lists Carissa among salt-tolerant shrubs. It grows in sand, loam and clay, acidic or alkaline, in full sun to partial shade, but poorly drained soil causes root rot. Pests are minor, with Florida red scale and foliar bacterial disease the usual troubles. The spines and the milky sap are the reasons to site it thoughtfully, away from paths and play areas, and to prune it in gloves.

Design

Where to use it

Security hedgeCoastal screenFoundation plantingFragrant container plant

Use natal plum where its spines are an asset: along a boundary, beneath a window that needs protection, or as a barrier at the edge of a path that people should not cut across. Keep it back from walkways, play areas and any spot where a child or pet might brush against it. It is a strong choice for a coastal garden, with salt spray and sandy soil, and in sun it keeps a dense, clean line with minimal water.

Sea Jasmine

Sea-jasmine is a salt-tolerant coastal shrub with white flowers, and together the two form a tough, scented coastal hedge that needs little water.

Texas Sage

Texas sage's soft silver foliage contrasts with natal plum's dark, glossy leaves, and both prefer sharp drainage and little irrigation.

Agave

Agave's blue-grey rosettes give a bold, sculptural contrast to natal plum's dense, rounded green, and both suit a dry, sunny bed.

Care guide

How to grow it in Dubai

Watering: Summer: Low: University of Florida describes it as highly drought tolerant, so occasional deep soaks are enough once established.
Winter: Little or none; avoid wet soil, which invites root rot.
Establishment: Water regularly through the first season so the roots establish, then taper off.
Soil: Well-drained soil; University of Florida lists tolerance of sand, loam, clay, acidic and alkaline conditions. Poorly drained soil causes root rot.
Feeding: A light feed in spring is plenty; it is not a hungry plant, and excess feeding mainly pushes soft growth.
Pruning: After spring flowering, remove no more than the top third and keep the top narrower than the base so light reaches the lower branches. Wear protective clothing, since the spines are sharp and the sap is milky.
Planting: Plant October to March in full sun, away from paths, play areas and doors. For a hedge, plant close enough that the spiny stems knit together.
Pests: Florida red scaleFoliar bacterial diseaseRoot rot in poorly drained soil

Avoid these

Common mistakes

Planting it where people or pets brush past. The forked spines are about an inch and a half long and injure easily, so site it as a barrier, not a path edge.
Overwatering or planting in heavy, poorly drained soil. Natal plum is highly drought tolerant, and root rot is the main way it fails.
Pruning without gloves and eye protection. The spines are sharp and the sap is milky, so wear protective clothing.
Cutting it back hard instead of removing no more than the top third after spring flowering, which stresses the plant and removes the flower buds.
Eating unripe fruit. Ripe, red fruit is edible, but unripe fruit and the milky sap can upset the stomach.

Extra notes

Good to know

Carissa grandiflora is the older name for the same plant, and nurseries still use it interchangeably with Carissa macrocarpa.
NC State Extension describes the ripe fruit as tasting of raspberry and cranberry, and University of Florida notes it is used for jellies and preserves.
It belongs to the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, which also includes frangipani, desert rose and oleander; the milky sap is a family trait, though natal plum's ripe fruit is edible.
University of Florida's non-native plant assessment classes it as not a problem species across Florida.

Toxicity: The milky sap contains latex, and NC State Extension notes that eating large quantities of unripe fruit may cause vomiting or diarrhoea, while ripe fruit is safe to eat. It is listed as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses; the main hazard is the sharp spines.

Pros

Highly salt tolerant, suited to coastal gardens with salt spray
Highly drought tolerant once established, needing little irrigation
Glossy, dense foliage forms a clean, clippable hedge
Fragrant white star flowers followed by edible red fruit
Forked spines make an effective security barrier

Cons

Sharp forked spines can injure; keep away from paths and play areas
Milky sap, and unripe fruit can upset the stomach
Root rot in poorly drained or waterlogged soil
Florida red scale and foliar bacterial disease can mark the leaves

FAQ

Common questions

Is natal plum fruit edible?

Yes, when ripe. NC State Extension describes the red fruit as having a raspberry-cranberry flavour, and University of Florida notes it is used for jellies and preserves. Unripe fruit and the milky sap can upset the stomach, so only eat fully ripe fruit.

Is natal plum good for coastal Dubai gardens?

Yes. University of Florida rates it highly salt tolerant with good soil salt tolerance, and recommends it for coastal planting. Abu Dhabi Municipality's 2012 plant index also lists Carissa among salt-tolerant shrubs.

How dangerous are the thorns?

They are sharp and forked, up to about 1.5 inches long. University of Florida advises avoiding high-traffic areas and play spaces, and wearing protective clothing when pruning. Used as a barrier hedge, the spines are an advantage.

When should I prune natal plum?

After spring flowering, removing no more than the top third and keeping the top narrower than the base so that light reaches the lower branches. Avoid hard pruning in peak summer heat.

How much water does it need?

Very little once established. University of Florida describes it as highly drought tolerant. In Dubai, water regularly through the first season, then reduce to occasional deep soaks and avoid poorly drained spots.

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