Carissa macrocarpa

Name: Carissa macrocarpa
Brand: BotanicalDryGarden
Price: 18.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

€18,00

Quantity

Anti-spiraling pots

Quick attachment

Low water requirement

Ready to plant

Carissa macrocarpa, also known as Christmas plum or African jasmine, is an evergreen shrub native to South Africa and particularly suited to the warmer regions of our country. Its striking snow-white flowers last for most of the year.

Features

CHRISTMAS PLUM DESCRIPTION

Carissa macrocarpa is an evergreen shrub with fleshy, glossy leaves of a beautiful bright green colour that greatly enhance the plant's ornamental appeal. The stems have numerous forked spines; thanks to this feature, the Christmas plum is ideal for creating defensive hedges that keep unwanted animals at bay.

From late spring until early autumn, Carissa macrocarpa is covered in star-shaped white flowers with a waxy texture and a fragrance reminiscent of jasmine (a characteristic that has earned this species the nickname African jasmine). The fragrance tends to intensify at night, while during the day the pristine Carissa flowers attract many bees and butterflies.

CARISSA MACROCARPA FRUITS

During summer and autumn, while flowers are still present, the Christmas plum produces many fruits resembling small plums with an intense purple colour and a sweet, slightly tart flavour, somewhere between that of a strawberry and a cranberry. The fruits can be eaten fresh or used to make fruit salads and jams. The pulp of Carissa macrocarpa fruits is rich in beneficial properties due to its high content of vitamin C, antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, and iron.

Warning: It is important to remember that, with the exception of the fruit, all parts of the Carissa macrocarpa plant are poisonous. Inside the pulp of the Christmas plum fruits are about ten seeds that must be removed before consumption, as they are also toxic.

This feature should come as no surprise, as Carissa macrocarpa is closely related to oleander: both belong to the Apocynaceae family, a name derived from Greek meaning "far from the dog", precisely to remind us that ingesting certain parts of these plants can be harmful to the health of animals or people.

CHRISTMAS PLUM CULTIVATION AND MAINTENANCE

Carissa macrocarpa prefers full sun. It may also benefit from a few hours of afternoon shade, but it should be remembered that flowering and fruit production will decrease proportionally to the number of hours the plant spends in the shade.

The Christmas plum has poor cold tolerance, as it is native to areas with particularly warm climates. If grown in a pot, it should be moved to a sheltered location when the cold season arrives.

The plant easily withstands long dry seasons, but on the contrary, it dislikes waterlogging and therefore performs best in well-drained soils. It will therefore require very occasional watering, limited to times when the soil is completely dry. In winter, watering should be further reduced and carried out only on days that are not too cold. If grown in a pot, the African jasmine will need regular but infrequent watering (about once every 10 days).

Carissa macrocarpa does not require any special pruning, other than that dictated by personal taste to contain the size of the plant or give it a more uniform appearance. If pruning is chosen, it is best to do so at the end of winter so as not to compromise flowering and fruiting in the following months.

The plant tolerates salt spray well, making it an excellent choice for coastal areas.

From late spring until early autumn the Carissa macrocarpa is covered in white star-shaped flowers, with a waxy texture and a scent similar to jasmine, which intensifies during the night. During the day, the flowers attract many bees and butterflies.

Prefers full sun, which promotes flowering and fruiting, and has poor cold tolerance: if grown in a pot, it should be protected during the cold season. It handles drought well but is sensitive to waterlogging, so it requires well-drained soils and very infrequent watering. It does not require any special pruning, which can be done at the end of winter if necessary; it tolerates salt spray well, making it ideal for coastal areas.

Shipping

Italy: delivery within 48/72 hours of shipping.
International: delivery within a maximum of 5 days.
We ship from Monday to Wednesday: so that the plants only travel on weekdays and do not sit in the courier's warehouses over the weekend. Orders received from Thursday to Sunday will be shipped the following Monday.
Packaging designed for live plants, to ensure they arrive in good condition.

When you receive the delivery or hold-for-collection notice, please collect the package as soon as possible: plants suffer if they remain closed in the box for too long.

Returns and damaged plants

Right of withdrawal within 14 days of receipt, as provided for by the Consumer Code. The product must be returned intact and in its original packaging; return shipping costs are borne by the customer.
Plant arrived damaged? Please let us know within 7 days of receipt, with a few photos of the plant and the packaging: we will assess a replacement or refund together.

All the details are in the Terms of Sale and the withdrawal form. If you have any questions, write to us.

Carissa macrocarpa

€18,00

WHAT MAKES OUR PLANTS DIFFERENT

Long anti-spiraling vases

A traditional lawn is a fragile monoculture: it drinks thousands of liters of water every summer, needs mowing every week, and turns yellow as soon as you neglect it. An alternative lawn turns this logic on its head: instead of grasses, we use Mediterranean groundcovers selected in our nursery—low, dense, and hardy plants, born for hot and dry climates.

The result is a green, walkable carpet that blooms for months, withstands drought, salt spray, and frost, and reduces watering and maintenance by 80%. It is not an aesthetic compromise: it is a more beautiful, more vibrant lawn that is more honest with the environment.