Barbados cherry
Malpighia emarginata
Tiny cherries packed with vitamin C.
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 10 ft tall, 10 ft wide
Harvest: May to September
From: Caribbean
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean, Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 9 to 11.
The story
Barbados cherry is native to the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America, where it was eaten long before Europeans arrived. It holds more vitamin C than almost any fruit; Puerto Rico and Brazil grow it for juice.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, drained soil, warmth. It takes brief light frost. A bushy shrub to 10 feet; plant a cutting-grown selected variety.
Growing
Water in dry spells; it fruits within weeks of rain. Prune after harvest to keep it in bounds and encourage flushes.
Harvest and use
Several crops a year; pick when bright red and soft, and use within a day or freeze. The flavour is tart cherry.
What to watch for
Nematodes in sandy soil, and fruit fly.
See if Barbados cherry fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.
More tropical and subtropical food plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home