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Habitats
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Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Hedge; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
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Edible Uses
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Edible Parts: Flowers; Fruit.
Edible Uses:
Fruit - raw or cooked[3, 11, 183]. A delicious aromatic taste, somewhat like a cross between a pineapple and a strawberry[183]. The fruit is best eaten raw but it can also be made into pies, cakes, puddings, jams, jellies etc[183]. Fruits can suffer damage from autumn frosts, though the flavour develops better at low temperatures[200]. The fruit is up to 7.5cm long[200]. Flowers - raw[3, 160, 166]. The petals are sweet, crisp and delicious, they taste more like a fruit than many fruits[K]. They should be harvested just after they begin to soften[183] (not sure that I agree with this last sentence[K])
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Medicinal Uses
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Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
None known
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Other Uses
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Hedge; Hedge.
Although not very cold hardy in Britain, it resists maritime exposure and can be grown as a shelter hedge in mild maritime areas[200, K].
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Cultivation details
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Prefers a light loamy well-drained soil[11, 200], requiring a warm sunny position[182]. Prefers light shade[202]. Succeeds in any reasonably good soil, even chalk[1, 182]. Dislikes extreme alkalinity[202]. Tolerates drought and salt winds[200]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain. It grows very well on a west-facing wall at Kew where it often produces fruits, though these do not always ripen[K]. A very good crop of fruit was produced on this plant after the cool summer of 1998, these were not quite ripe at the end of October, but they ripened in storage[K]. Plants have also succeeded in Norfolk and in Scotland when grown against a sunny wall, though some extra protection might be required in very cold winters[219]. Succeeds as a free-standing shrub in Cornwall[1, 59]. Tolerates temperatures down to between -12 and -15°c[184] when the plant is fully dormant[200]. Occasionally, and more frequently, being cultivated for its edible fruit in sub-tropical zones[3, 61], there are some named varieties[183]. 'Apollo' and 'Mammoth' are cultivars noted for their fruiting propensity[182]. 'Smith' fruits well in the Pacific Northwest and so might be suitable for the mild areas of Britain[183, K]. Fruits only ripen outdoors in Britain in hot summers[3]. Plants rarely set fruit in Britain, perhaps they are self-sterile[11]. Some cultivars are self-fertile whilst others require cross-pollination[183].
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Propagation
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Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Rinse the seed before sowing to ensure there is no fruit flesh remaining since this can inhibit germination. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 15°c[3]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7 cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Slow to root[K], but you eventually get a good percentage take[78].
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Botanical References
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11200
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Links / References
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[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
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[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
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Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
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[3]Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit.
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A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.
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[11]Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
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A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
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[59]Thurston. Trees and Shrubs in Cornwall.
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Trees and shrubs that succeed in Cornwall based on the authors own observations. Good but rather dated.
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[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
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Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
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[78]Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
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A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
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[160]Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.
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Fascinating reading, this is an annual publication. Some reports do seem somewhat exaggerated though.
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[166]Taylor. J. The Milder Garden.
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A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
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[182]Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos.
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Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
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[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
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Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
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[184]Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs.
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Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.
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[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
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Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
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[202]Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs.
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Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.
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[219]Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls
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A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
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Subject : Acca sellowiana
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