Kei apple

Dovyalis caffra

A fiercely thorny hedge with apricot-coloured, very tart fruit for jam; needs a male and a female plant.

Type: small tree · fruit trees
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 20 ft tall, 15 ft wide
Harvest: November to January
From: Eastern Cape to Mozambique
Drought-hardy once established
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, wildlife, screens and hedges.

Native to: Cape of South Africa, African savannas & tropics. Hardy in zones 9 to 11.

The story

The Kei apple is named for the Kei River of the Eastern Cape. Xhosa and Zulu communities ate the fruit and planted the thorny trees as living kraal fences, and it was carried around the world as a hedge plant.

Planting

Full sun and any soil that drains. It stands drought, salt wind and light frost.

Growing

Plant a male for every several females. Clip as a hedge, with care.

Harvest and use

The yellow fruit ripens in summer and is very sharp. Add sugar for jam, jelly and pickles.

What to watch for

Long, stiff thorns. Fruit flies in warm regions.

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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