Practical
Plants

Carpobrotus edulis

Hottentot Fig

a perennial member of the Carpobrotus genus in the family Aizoaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Aizoaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.1 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw, cooked, dried for later use or made into pickles, chutney etc[1][8][13][14][15][6]. There is very little flesh in the fruit and it must be fully ripe otherwise it is very astringent[K]. Mucilaginous and sweetly acid[6]. Leaves - raw or cooked[8][5]. Succulent, they are eaten in salads and can also be used as a substitute for pickled cucumber[6]. We find them too mucilaginous to be enjoyable[K].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Used in maritime areas to prevent soil erosion in sandy soils[7][9]. Plants form a dense carpet and make an effective ground cover[10]. Can be grown as a fire barrier in areas subject to forest fires, it is moderately fire retardant[9]. The dried leaves contain about 19.4% tannin and the dry stems 14.2%[11]. Yields of 1700 kilos per hectare of cultivated plants have been achieved[11].

Product or use
Fire retardant
Product or use
Tannin

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Environment

Range
S. Africa - Cape Province. Naturalized in Britain[4].
Habitat
Sandy and rocky places by the sea[12]. Naturalized on cliffs and banks by the sea in Cornwall and S. Devon[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure, drought
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant
Salinity
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow March to June in a greenhouse. Lower night-time temperatures are beneficial. The seed usually germinates in 7 - 10 days at 23°c[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings at any time during the growing season. Allow the cutting to dry in the sun for a day or two then pot up in a very sandy mix. Very easy[K].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a well-drained sandy soil in a sunny position[1][9]. Plants can be grown on dry walls or in the flower border[3]. Established plants are very drought resistant[9]. Very resistant to wind and salt spray[3]. Moderately fire-retardant[9]. Plants are not very frost resistant and can be killed by temperatures below about -2°c. They have naturalized themselves on cliffs along the coast of S. Britain but do not succeed inland unless grown in a sunny sheltered position[9]. A vigorous prostrate plant, rooting as it spreads. The flowers only open in the afternoon[9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00

    ↩

  3. Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-340-508302

    ↩

  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  8. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  10. Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-460-12609-1

    ↩

  11. Rottsieper. E.H.W. Vegetable Tannins The Forestal Land, Timber and Railways Co. Ltd. 1946-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  12. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩

  13. Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7

    ↩

  14. Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219060-5

    ↩

  15. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩

Edit this page