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Carissa macrocarpa--Natal plum.(Plant Palette)
What a treat awaits those who have yet to experience Carissa macrocarpa's brilliant charms. A feast for nearly all of the senses, this "Natal plum" will offer delights for the eye, the nose and the palate.
Visually stunning with its glossy deep-green leaves, bright-red fruit and dramatic white flowers, Carissa macrocarpa offers year-round greenery with a difference. Its star-shaped flowers emit a heady fragrance likened to orange blossoms, and its cranberry-flavored fruit will work nicely in jellies, sauces and pies.
A shrub for all seasons, Carissa macrocarpa enjoys great popularity even where it is risky to succumb to her charms. Hardy to 26 degrees F. and suitable to Western Garden zones 22-24, it is nevertheless common in zones 12, 13 and 16-21 by those determined to enjoy it if only for a season. Using common sense when placing Carissa macrocarpa where it may be protected from frost--against a building, facing south or west--will contribute to its success in these "borderline" zones.
A South African native that has spread to Australia, Southeast Asia, East Africa and western North America, Carissa macrocarpa naturally loves the climate from which it came. Sun, sandy soil and ocean breezes bring out the best in it (as it does most of us!). Coastal spray and wind do nothing to curb its enthusiasm or vibrancy. Poor soil and some shade are so well tolerated that such conditions should not deter those willing to give it a try. It is also amenable to little or regular water use.
The plant is a marvelous subject for shaping and can be an excellent choice for topiary or formal hedge. Left to its own devices, it has an informal habit that is upright, loosely rounded and in need of only occasional pruning to tame an errant branch. Its dense branch pattern and nasty thorns make it excellent for use as a screen that "means business." It also makes a nice container plant, but be careful to place it where it won't catch passers-by with its spines. Its quick growth pattern makes it a good ...
- Hedges you can bet on: formal or informal, evergreen or deciduous, let a hedge...
- Magazine article from: Sunset Lorton, Steven R. October 1, 2002 700+ words
...repens Pink Splendor'). Glossy green leaves with pink shading and yellow margins. Zones 14-24, H1. Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa). Glossy green leaves; red or purple fruits and fragrant white pinwheel blooms often appear together...
- Nu Skin modeling a new scent.
- Magazine article from: WWD Klepacki, Laura February 20, 1998 700+ words
...flower and a dewy green accord. The heart includes Hawaiian natal plum flower, osmanthus, muguet, California star jasmine and...DB Design of Germany. Brinkley stumbled upon the Hawaiian natal plum flower and fell in love with its scent while attending a family...
- Romancing the whites: white flowers and creamy foliage can make magic in...
- Magazine article from: Sunset Cohoon, Sharon July 1, 1998 700+ words
...English choice for this role, is too formal for the more casual Western style. But euonymus, Italian cypress, myrtle, natal plum, oleander, pittosporum, viburnum, and many other common Western shrubs can play the same roles. * Cluster white plants...
- Landscaping for security.
- Magazine article from: Sunset November 1, 1988 700+ words
...holly, or Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium). Good choices for many parts of California include bougainvillea, citrus, Natal plum, and pyracantha. In the desert, try bougainvillea, cactus, citrus, and spine-tipped yuccas. Roses and cane berries...
- Nu Skin Believe in its fragrance.(Brief Article)
- Magazine article from: Cosmetics International Cosmetic Products Report November 1, 1999 700+ words
...fragrance, based on a simple philosophy - if you believe in yourself you can achieve anything." At its heart is the Hawaiian Natal Plum, a flower tree that Brinkley discovered while walking in Hawaii, with Osmanthus flowers, muguet, California star jasmine...
- 'Name Your Poison' exhibition opens for Poison Prevention Week. (NEWS ADVISORY)
- Press release article from: PR Newswire March 16, 1989 700+ words
...with foxglove, castor bean, oleander, wild tree tobacco, among others. Also, look-a-likes rhubarb/red chard, natal plum/bushman's poison, jerusalem cherry/cherry tomato. "Reptiles, Snakes and Poisonous Creatures of the Sea": A 40...
- GARDENING : HEARTY, ELEGANT DRACEANA, THY NAME IS `JANET CRAIG'.(L.A. LIFE)
- Newspaper article from: Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) October 3, 1998 700+ words
...glossy green is otherwise found only in the foliage of a few plants that are used outdoors as landscape ornamentals, including natal plum (Cariss), bear's breech (Acanthus), Victorian box (Pittosporum undulatu) and gardenia. It is the brilliant luster...
- Three fresh looks for the mantel.
- Magazine article from: Sunset Swezey, Lauren Bonar December 1, 1994 700+ words
...lines and the vertical accents. For a natural alternative to ribbon, Secchi draped hemp across the mantel. Next, she poked Natal plum foliage adorned with fruit into the foam and clustered purple hop bush and magnolia leaves across the mantel. Mattress vine...