Common Name: Barbados Gooseberry

General Information

Pereskia aculeata is an erect, spiny, deciduous, woody shrub when young, becoming, with age, scrambling or climbing and vine-like, with stems up to 10 metres long that may shroud a large tree[]. Although the plant is in the cactus family, it is not easily recognised as such since it is not succulent and has leaves[].
The plant is seldom found truly wild but is frequently grown in tropical areas as an ornamental or occasionally for its edible leaves and fruits. The leaves are often sold in local markets in eastern Brazil. There are some named varieties grown as ornamentals[, ].
Pereskia aculeata is common, widespread, and an aggressive invader in parts of the world where it has been introduced. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

S. America - Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, eastern Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama; Caribbean

Habitat

Humid to sub-humid evergreen forests on inselbergs of gneiss or granite and also on limestone. The plant is often seen growing over vegetation and rocks[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Climber
Height	10.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental

Cultivation Details

A plant of hot, tropical climates with medium to high rainfall[]. Most Pereskia species occur in dry forests and thorn-scrub habitats in a tropical climate with a more or less pronounced dry season of about two to five months[].
Requires a well-drained soil. An easily grown plant, flourishing with little or no care, the plant is drought-tolerant and suffers from over-watering[]. Under high light intensity, it can be kept erect and compact; under low light, it grows higher, with ascending stems and the leaves are larger and thinner[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7.5[].
The plant has been widely introduced into tropical areas, where it has often escaped from cultivation[]. Gardeners had to give up the plant in South Africa in 1979 when it was banned as an illegal weed because it had been invading and overwhelming natural vegetation[].
The plant is often grown as an ornamental, the flowers being handsome and intensely aromatic,, although they do have a somewhat offensive fragrance[, ].
The flowers are said to be of great value to bees[].
Species in this genus are deciduous under conditions with seasonal drought and, in cultivation, also lose their leaves if the mean temperature falls below around 15°c[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , ]. A pleasant, sweet-sour flavour[]. They are sometimes eaten raw, but are generally stewed or preserved with sugar, or made into jam[, ]. A good source of vitamin A[]. The fruit is round, oval or pyriform, lemon- or orange-yellow or reddish, 10 - 25mm wide, with thin, smooth, somewhat leathery skin[, ]. It is beset with the curling, leafy sepals of the calyx and often a few spines, until fully ripe, when it is juicy and subacid to tart[].

Young shoots and leaves - raw or cooked[, ]. They can be eaten in salads in the same way as purslane (Portulacca spp.), or added to cooked dishes and eaten as greens[, ]. A good source of protein[]. They are an important food in parts of rural Brazil[, ].

Medicinal

The leaves are rich in mucilage. They are valued for their emollient nature and are crushed then applied on inflammations and tumours[, , ].

The fruit is antisyphilitic and expectorant[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are a good source of nectar for bees[].

Other Uses

Often used as a rootstock on which to graft other less vigorous cacti[].

We have no specific description of the wood for this species, but the general description for the wood from Pereskia species (sensu lato) is as follows:-The wood is yellow, without difference between softwood and heartwood. The texture is medium, soft grain, straight fibre, with no characteristic odour or taste[],

Propagation

Seed - fresh seed can be slow to germinate, it is best to sow seed that is between several months to 2 years old and this should germinate after a few days. Even when five years old, seed can have a 50% germination rate[].
Easily grown from cuttings of half-ripe wood, taken during the dry season[, ].

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