Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Dwarf Apple Plant is a Cherry Plant after all........!

No, it is actually not a real cherry plant either .. !  After diligently surfing the internet for a week  or more to find  out more on this  'Dwarf Apple Plant" (posted  12/12/2010),  I am now convinced that this plant is actually the Malpighia Glabra ( common names  Barbados Cherry , Acerola,  West Indian Cherry).  For more information and photos  check out this article at  http://www.enotes.com/topic/Malpighia_glabra) or this article  by  Jim Conrad's Naturalist Newsletter (http://www.backyardnature.net/yucatan/barbados.htm).   I went back to take a good look at the shrub again just to compare with the photos on the articles. The shrub was flowering  but fewer fruits .   The owner must have harvested the fruits.   I am actually quite pleased  to know that the fruits are rich in Vitamin C and in fact extracts from the fruits are sold (http://www.gentcare.com/EnProductShow.asp?ID=3).

I am keeping my fingers crossed that  the baby plant I have  will  grow well.  Daily I keep checking on it and it  seems to be doing okay. 


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