Malpighia glabra (Acerola) new style

Muniz

This is the beggining of the process for the new style of my Acerola (Malpighia glabra - Acerola, Barbados cherry, buesito, Surinam cherry, West Indies cherry).
It will be pruned.

Rio de Janeiro - August 2002 (Winter)

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Muniz

In a second moment, pruned (aerial and roots) and wired. B1 was offered to promote a more strong root ball.

Malpighia glabra (Acerola)
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil - August 2002 (winter)

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Obs.:
Origin: The acerola is believed to originate from the Yucatan (linguistic evidence) and is distributed from South Texas, through Mexico (especially on the West Coast from Sonora to Guerrero) and Central America to northern South America (Venezuela, Surinam, Columbia) and throughout the Caribbean (Bahamas to Trinidad). Acerola has now been successfully introduced in sub-tropical areas throughout the world (Southeast Asia, India, South America), and some of the largest plantings are in Brazil.

Adaptation: The acerola is typically found in dry, thorn-woodlands as a deciduous tree. It grows in San Diego County, coastal Southern California and in more extreme areas with protection. There are trees in Riverside, Calif. and San Bernardino County. In general, acerola has poor cold tolerance, with young plants typically killed at temperatures below 30° F. Trees can survive brief exposure to 28° F with loss of leaves. Trees are sensitive to wind (shallow root systems). The acerola is drought tolerant, and will adopt a deciduous habit; irrigation results in leaf and flower flush. Plants can easily adapt to pot culture in well-draining, limed soil.

Fruit: Fruits are round to oblate, cherry-like but with 3 lobes. They are bright red (rarely yellow-orange) with thin skin, easily bruised. The pulp is juicy, acid to sub-acid occasionally nearly sweet, with a delicate flavor and apple notes. The fruit is very high in Vitamin C, up to 4,000 mg per 100 g fresh weight, but typically around 1,500 mg C. Green fruits have twice the Vitamin C level of mature fruits. Fruits develop to maturity in less than 25 days. Seeds typically three with fluted wings, forming a triangle. Many aspects of seed viability have not been studied.

Soil: Acerolas grows in marl, limestone, clay and other heavy soils as long as it drains well; waterlogging of roots will cause plant death. Soil pH should be 6.5-7.5 as acid soils do not promote vigorous growth. Liming of trees and working into the soil is a common practice and necessary for high productivity.

FURTHER READING
Cooper, F. The acerola comes to California loaded with vitamin C. CRFG Yearbook 3, 1971, pp 2-8.
Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990. p. 127.
Morton, Julia F. Fruits of Warm Climates, Julia F. Morton, Publisher, 1987, pp. 204-209.

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