Natal Plum Fruit

$150.00

Natal plums have a bright red outer skin and flesh and are somewhat tapered or pointed at one end. Both the stems and fruit of the Natal plum will release flecks of milky white sap when cut. The Natal plum has a sweet and sour flavor, while offering a juicy consistency. Its branches and leaves are vivid green in color with white flowers and numerous double pronged thorns, a good identifier when foraging for the Natal plum shrub. The taste of the Natal plum has also been compared to the tart flavor of the cranberry.

The Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa) is a member of the Dogbane or Apocynaceae family. A relative of the poisonous Oleander, the stems and leaves of the Natal plum are toxic and should never be consumed. The fruit of the Natal plum shrub is the only edible part of the plant.

Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Carissa