Carissa edulis var. tomentosa

Fragrant Spiny Natal Plum

A medium sized vining shrub to 6’ or more with small cluster of fragrant white flowers with a slight purple stripe on the underside of each flower. Sun or part shade, not picky about soil, moisture or feeding, but responds well to all of those. It's a thorny plant with a lax habit, planted near a taller tree it will lean on branches and 'climb". I've grown this plant for over 30 years. It's the fragrance that gets me every time, and helps me overlook the thorns and habit. It is a tough hardy plant. I prune mine to keep it bushy. It does make an edible red plum-like fruit, small, not great, but edible. Poisonous until ripe. Pan-tropical. Syn.: Carissa spinarum, Carissa tomentosa. Tolerates only a light frost.