Barbados Cherry Tree Live Plant – 3 Gallon Pot, 3 Feet Tall, Fruit Tree

Overview

Experience the joy of growing your own nutritious fruit with this exquisite Barbados Cherry Tree live plant. This vibrant specimen arrives as a healthy, thriving plant, approximately 3 feet tall and nestled in a substantial 3-gallon pot, ready to be transplanted into your garden or a larger container. Also known as Acerola cherry, wild crape myrtle, or scientifically as Malpighia emarginata, this plant is celebrated not only for its abundant, bright red cherries but also for its attractive foliage and charming blooms. The Barbados Cherry is a fast-growing, evergreen shrub or small tree that thrives in warm climates, offering both ornamental beauty and a consistent supply of delicious, vitamin C-rich fruit. It’s an ideal choice for gardeners looking to add a productive and visually appealing fruit tree to their landscape.

This particular Barbados Cherry Tree live plant is carefully cultivated to ensure a strong start in its new environment. Its compact size makes it suitable for various garden designs, from edible landscapes to patio container gardens. With proper care, you can look forward to enjoying its delicate pink flowers followed by sweet and tangy red cherries, bringing a touch of the tropics to your home. This resilient and rewarding fruit tree promises to be a delightful addition for both novice and experienced gardeners.

Key Benefits

Adding a Barbados Cherry Tree live plant to your garden offers numerous advantages beyond just fresh fruit. Its versatility and robust nature make it a highly desirable choice for many outdoor spaces.

• Abundant Fruit Production: Enjoy a continuous supply of highly nutritious, vitamin C-rich cherries. The plant fruits heavily, often multiple times a year, providing a consistent harvest for fresh eating, juices, or preserves.
• Ornamental Appeal: Beyond its fruit, the Barbados Cherry boasts attractive, glossy green leaves and delicate pink to lavender flowers, making it a beautiful addition to any landscape or patio.
• Adaptable Growth: This tree can be grown as a shrub, a small tree, or even pruned into a hedge, offering flexibility in garden design. It adapts well to various soil types, provided they are well-draining.
• Attracts Pollinators: The charming flowers of the Acerola cherry tree are a magnet for bees and other beneficial pollinators, contributing to a healthy garden ecosystem.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, the Barbados Cherry is relatively easy to care for, requiring moderate watering and occasional fertilization to thrive. Its natural resilience makes it a great choice for busy gardeners.
• Container Friendly: Its moderate size and adaptable nature mean it can be successfully grown in large pots or containers, making it perfect for patios, balconies, or regions where it needs to be brought indoors during colder months.
• Health Benefits: The cherries are renowned for their exceptionally high vitamin C content, far surpassing that of oranges, making them a powerful superfood for boosting immunity.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Barbados Cherry Tree live plant is straightforward, especially when you understand its basic needs. This tropical and subtropical fruit tree thrives in conditions that mimic its native environment. For optimal growth and fruiting, it requires plenty of sunlight. Plant your Barbados Cherry in a location that receives full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. If growing indoors or in a container, place it near a south-facing window or use supplemental grow lights to ensure it gets adequate light exposure.

The ideal soil for a fruit tree for garden like the Barbados Cherry is well-draining, sandy, or loamy. While it can tolerate a range of soil types, good drainage is crucial to prevent root rot. Amend heavy clay soils with organic matter like compost or perlite to improve drainage. Regular watering is beneficial, especially during dry periods and when the plant is actively fruiting. Aim to keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out slightly between waterings. This plant prefers temperatures between 70°F and 95°F and is hardy in USDA Zones 9–11. In colder zones, it must be grown in a container and brought indoors before the first frost. Fertilize your Malpighia emarginata with a balanced slow-release fertilizer or an organic fruit tree fertilizer during the growing season (spring to fall) to encourage robust growth and abundant fruit production. Pruning can be done to maintain shape, size, and to remove any dead or diseased branches.

Size & Details

This Barbados Cherry Tree live plant is supplied in a 3-gallon nursery pot, providing a well-established root system for a strong start. The plant stands approximately 3 feet tall from the base of the pot, making it a significant and mature specimen ready for immediate impact in your garden or patio. Its approximate dimensions for shipping are 8 x 8 x 45 inches. The Barbados Cherry is a fast-growing species that can reach heights of 10-15 feet as a tree or be maintained as a smaller shrub with pruning. It begins fruiting at a young age, often within the first year or two after planting, and blooms from spring through fall, leading to multiple harvests.

This is a single unit count of a live plant, delivered in its nursery pot to minimize transplant shock. The rich red color of its mature fruits is a highlight, contrasting beautifully with its green foliage. With its robust growth habit and generous fruit yield, this plant offers excellent value and a rewarding gardening experience for anyone looking for a productive and attractive fruit tree for garden settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Barbados Cherry Tree get? A: This particular Barbados Cherry Tree live plant is about 3 feet tall when shipped in its 3-gallon pot. In the ground, it can grow up to 10-15 feet tall, but it can also be kept smaller with regular pruning, making it versatile for various garden spaces.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: The plant arrives in a standard 3-gallon nursery pot, which provides ample space for its root system and ensures a healthy transition to your garden or a larger decorative container.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Barbados Cherry Tree thrives outdoors in USDA Zones 9-11. In colder climates, it can be grown as a container plant and brought indoors during the winter months to protect it from frost.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For best results and abundant fruiting, this Acerola cherry tree requires full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the Barbados Cherry is considered relatively easy to care for, especially once established. It’s quite resilient and tolerates a range of conditions, making it suitable for both beginner and experienced gardeners.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Barbados Cherry Tree live plant will arrive as a healthy, actively growing plant in its 3-gallon nursery pot, carefully packaged to ensure its safety during transit.
• Q: Can I use Barbados Cherries in cooking? A: Absolutely! Barbados Cherries are delicious eaten fresh, but they are also excellent for making juices, jams, jellies, and desserts. Their high vitamin C content makes them a popular ingredient in health-focused recipes.
• Q: How long until it blooms and fruits? A: This variety typically blooms from spring to fall, and you can expect it to start producing fruit within the first year or two after planting, especially since it’s already a well-established 3-foot tall plant.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature this plant can tolerate? A: The Malpighia emarginata prefers temperatures above 70°F. It can tolerate brief dips to around 30°F, but prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures will damage or kill the plant, which is why it needs winter protection in colder zones.
• Q: What kind of soil does this fruit tree for garden prefer? A: It prefers well-draining soil, ideally sandy or loamy. While adaptable, good drainage is key to prevent root issues.