Dwarf Weeping Barbados Cherry - Malpighia pendiculata

Have you tasted the cherries? How are they?

Libby

bumblebee wrote:Have you tasted the cherries? How are they?

Libby

Not much to them, really. They are about the size of a peppercorn, and are mostly seeds covered in a little tasteless pulp.

Russell Coker wrote:My Malpighia is blooming again, so I thought I'd update this thread instead of starting a new one. Thanks again to everyone who contributed some really good info last fall.

Yes, it's still a bush in a pot, but I've made some decissions. First, I took out that tall, straight leader last year and that was an instant improvement. Second, there just isn't any way to make these two twin-trunked trees in the same pot look right. It's not the 4 trunks that bothers me as much as how they relate to each other. Early next summer I'll repot and do my best to seperate them. They'll both look better on their own, especially the bigger one.

Here are a couple of new pictures...





Thanks!

R

Why so wild looking like a bush and not looking like a bonsai? I am watching the forum a lot, you asked Mr Rob Kempinski before about a bushy looking tree, Is this not the same case? just curious. No disrespect to you Mr Coker.


K

Russell Coker wrote:I got this Malpighia from a friend after it was dropped off at our Botanical Gardens like a baby on the doorsteps. It's about 30 inches tall. I've had it for a couple of years but I haven't done anything with it yet except strenghten it, so it's more of a bush in a pot than it is a bonsai. But that seems to have paid off because it's blooming like crazy this year so I thought I'd post pictures.

You must not have read very carefully because in the very first paragraph I said it was nothing more than a bush in a pot - and I don't make any claims to the otherwise. I've spent the last couple of years trying to figure out what to do with it, as well as recover some strength. It was really weak when I first got it. Next summer I'm going to seperate them. I don't know if the smaller tree will ever amount to anything, but the big one has some potential.

My main reason for posting to begin with was because I know nothing about this tree, other than that it's tropical, and that I'd never seen one this large. The only cut I've made on this plant was to remove the long, straight piece out of the top, no training at all so far. I was hoping for some feedback and information - and I've gotten both. Thanks everyone.

I hope that clarifies for you.

Thanks.