Ceratonia siliqua aka Carob

The carob tree, scientifically known as Ceratonia siliqua, is a long-lived evergreen tree or shrub that belongs to the bean family, Fabaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East, and is widely cultivated for its edible fruit pods, which have a sweet, chocolate-like taste. The tree has dense foliage with shiny, green, round, and leathery leaves that turn bronze when new. In summer, it produces male and female flowers on different trees, although named cultivars of bisexual trees are available at some nurseries. It can take up to seven years for a tree to begin bearing fruit, which is a dark brown, flattened pod that measures 13-30 cm in length and about 2.5 cm in width. The pods contain a high sugar content of up to 50% and several bean-like seeds. The ripe, dried, and sometimes toasted pod is often ground into carob powder and chips, which can be used as a chocolate alternative in most recipes. The carob tree is also used as an ornamental tree in gardens and landscapes. In times of famine, carob pods were used as the last source of human food in hard times and as animal feed. Carob is drought-resistant, grows in full sun, and can tolerate any soil except heavy clay. However, winter temperatures below -8°C may cause injury and retard fruiting. Portugal is the largest producer of carob, followed by Italy and Morocco.