Kei Apple – 10 Seeds

The Kei apple grows in valley bushveld, dry areas, wooded grassland, on forest edges, from Eastern Cape through KwaZulu-Natal to Swaziland, into Limpopo [Northern Province] and Zimbabwe.

Common names: Kei-apple (Eng.); Kei-appel (Afr.); motlhono (North Sotho); umqokolo (Zulu); amaqokolo (Ndebele); mukokolo (Shona)

It is an evergreen tree or spiny shrub of moderate growth rate that may be planted close together to form a good hedge. It usually grows 3-5 m in height, but sometimes reaches 8 m with a much branched crown. Creamy green flowers form in November to December. Male flowers are 3 mm long in dense clusters of 5-10 flowers. Female flowers are found in groups of up to three on stalks 4-10 mm long in leaf axils. The fruits are up to 60 mm in diameter and are yellowish-orange in color.

The leaves are used as fodder (bulk feed for livestock). The fruits are edible, and make excellent jam and jelly, and, when under-ripe, pickles.

Growing Kei Apple

Indoor Sowing: Spring.and Summer.

Direct Sowing: Spring and Summer.

• Kei apple grows best where the temperature is high. It is also found in forest having a dry season minimum temperature of about 40 C with a maximum temperature of 45 C.
• It is a drought and frost-resistant species.
• In South Africa, the tree does best where annual rainfall is 1000 mm to1 700 mm.
• Kei apple is adapted to many varieties of soil, from sandy to loamy clay soils with a preference for well drained and aerated soil. However, the tree can grow well in poor soils. The tree grows well at a pH of 5, 5 to 8, 5.
• The Kei apple is easily propagated from seed. It is advisable to plant a couple of seeds, as you will need both male and female trees in order to produce fruit.
• Sow seed in seedling trays filled with river sand or seedling mix.
• The seeds must be pressed down into the sand until they are level with the surface of the sand and then covered with a layer of fine sand.
• Female trees begin to bear fruit in 4 or 5 years.The fruit reaches maturity in 90 days from full flower opening.