Malpighia emarginata aka Barbados Cherry

Malpighia emarginata is a shrub or small tree that stays green year-round. It is part of the Malpighiaceae family. Its names include acerola, Barbados cherry, and West Indian cherry. Its native range spans Mexico to northern Colombia. It now grows wild across the Caribbean, beyond its native range. Some of its forest homes lose leaves in certain seasons. Others keep most of their leaves. It suits the tropics where part of the year is dry.

Garden plants grow about 7–13 feet [2–4 metres] tall. They can spread to 13 feet [4 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants gives a wider height range. Its upper limit is 26 feet [8 metres]. A short trunk holds many branches that spread out. These brittle branches can break. The plant grows at a medium pace. Its simple leaves have one blade, with small hairs. They grow in pairs, each across from the other. Their shape ranges from oval to lance-shaped. Pink or red flowers each have five petals. Each flower has both male and female parts. PFAF gives mid-spring to early summer as the bloom time.

The bright red fruits are juicy drupes, or stone fruits. They taste sweet to rather tart. People eat them fresh or cook them. They make juice, sauces, jam, jelly, wine, and purée from them. The fruit has high levels of vitamin C. Firms use it in diet supplements and juice blends. Plants may bear two or three crops each year. Plants grown from seed may first fruit after two or three years. Their fruit may differ in quality from their parents' fruit.

Give acerola sun and good soil that drains well. It grows in light shade, too. Sand, loam, and clay soils can all suit it. It likes moist ground but can cope with drought. Acid to neutral soil suits it. It also copes with very acid soil and some soil salt. PFAF lists USDA zones 10–12 and says frost can harm it. It can cope with strong winds, but not exposed coastal sites. Growers can raise plants from seeds or cuttings.

Growers use acerola as a fruit crop or edible hedge. It draws wildlife and suits food forests, too. People have used its fruit for coughs and gut complaints. These past uses do not prove that it helps health. Both plant guides report no known hazards. Neither gives details of named pests or diseases. Useful Tropical Plants cites a 2013 IUCN review. That review lists it as Data Deficient, meaning too little data. People grow it so widely that its state in the wild remains unclear.