Natal Apricot – 5 Seeds

Natal Apricot (Dovyalis longispina) is a hardy, evergreen to semi-deciduous small to medium-sized tree.  It is also known as Coastal Kei-apple.

The stems are heavily armed with long, slender spines that make this an ideal plant for a security hedges. The species is found in KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland and Mozambique.

The tree is popular for its shiny orange to red white-speckled fruits which is consumed by humans, birds and game. Fruits are oblong and 1,5 cm in diameter.

Plants are dioecious with male and female flowers on separate plants, though some female plants can reproduce asexually. Male flowers are light green and female flowers are yellow-green. The leaves drop during flowering, but new leaves re-appear immediately.

Growing Natal Apricot

Indoor Sowing: Spring and Summer.

Direct Sowing: Summer.

• 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.
• Seedlings begin to bear fruit in 4 or 5 years.