Uses

Eaten fresh or as flavoring for drinks. Commonly used in parts of South America to flavor ice creams, drinks, and cocktails. Acerola's are used in many commercial vitamins and nutritional products, mainly for their vitamin C content. see also: nutrition facts

Plant Cultivation

A bushy shrub up to 20ft. Acerola's often form small multi-trunked trees. Plants can stand temperatures down to 28F and will take long periods of drought. They prefer to grow in warm to hot climates, with temperatures reaching 85-90F. Trees grow well in slightly acidic soil. Trees often require little or no care. Trees without adequate pollination will often set seedless fruit. Flowers usually appear after periods of rainfall or irrigation. Flowering may occur any time during the year (depending on local rainfall and climate patterns), and can last year-round. After flower set, fruit soon follows and will ripen in just 3-4 weeks. Fruits lose their flavor and nutritional content very rapidly upon harvest. Ripe acerola's should be picked and eaten within a few hours to preserve taste. As a result, the tree is not cultivated for commercial production. Propagation: Often by seeds which unfortunately can have low germination rates.

Origin and Distribution

Native range from South Texas through the Caribbean, Central America, and Brazil. Commercial production mainly supplies beverage makers, and for additives in nutritional products. Acerola's are not usually sold as a fresh fruit. Additionally, the acerola is a common dooryard tree throughout much of Central America.

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