Guess this fruit species if you can...

[Soren]

Can anyone guess this one - just picked the sweet and tasteful fruit? And to be fair and not make it too difficult, I will provide a bit more help than what can be seen from the photo alone.

1) Native to more than one continent
2) Leaves are leathery and as seen; dark green above and more pale below
3) Not a MYRTACEAE



The keys upper left side can give an indication of size

[Tomas]

Alibertia sessilis (Cordiera sessilis)?

[Soren]

Not the one. Take a close look at the photo; white latex is leaking from the fruit which is deep red on the inside.

edit; and yes - it is native to Uganda

[Soren]

Too difficult? Okay, this is Carissa edulis. The fruits are sweet and very tasty, 1+ cm in diameter - drought tolerant and an attractive tree with beautiful flowers in clusters. The presence of spines also makes it suitable as a protective hedge.
I can highly recommend it.!

[fruitlovers]

Too difficult? Okay, this is Carissa edulis. The fruits are sweet and very tasty, 1+ cm in diameter - drought tolerant and an attractive tree with beautiful flowers in clusters. The presence of spines also makes it suitable as a protective hedge.
I can highly recommend it.!

Soren, that fruit doesn't look like any carissa i have seen here, different color and shape. The ones here are pinkish red on exterior and more elongated.

[Soren]

Too difficult? Okay, this is Carissa edulis. The fruits are sweet and very tasty, 1+ cm in diameter - drought tolerant and an attractive tree with beautiful flowers in clusters. The presence of spines also makes it suitable as a protective hedge.
I can highly recommend it.!

Soren, that fruit doesn't look like any carissa i have seen here, different color and shape. The ones here are pinkish red on exterior and more elongated.

Oscar - could yours be Carissa congesta?

[fruitlovers]

Too difficult? Okay, this is Carissa edulis. The fruits are sweet and very tasty, 1+ cm in diameter - drought tolerant and an attractive tree with beautiful flowers in clusters. The presence of spines also makes it suitable as a protective hedge.
I can highly recommend it.!

Soren, that fruit doesn't look like any carissa i have seen here, different color and shape. The ones here are pinkish red on exterior and more elongated.

Oscar - could yours be Carissa congesta?

I believe the most commonly used carissa here is macrocarpa. Used for landscaping in beach parks and shopping centers on Kona (dry) side of the island.

[Soren]

I dont have the C. macrocarpa - but that is a much bigger fruit I know.! Is it any good for eating fresh. This species produces a very tasteful fruit though smaller of size.

[DuncanYoung]

C. marcarpa does make a great jelly.  Also makes a great hedge plant when one is trying to discourage two legged mango thieves.

[Jackfruitwhisperer69]

There are 2 huge(one tree is over 2m) trees in Funchal which flower almost year round

I got to taste my first natal plum last year and it was great...strawberry/raspberry flavor...can't nail the taste properly since I found only one fruit And next time i will harvest the fruits early in the morning(less latex) or when fully ripe.

ps...I have about 8 seedlings of this fruit. The seedlings grew very slow in the first year...then took off in the 2nd year and the thorns of course are growing as well ouch

[fruitlovers]

I dont have the C. macrocarpa - but that is a much bigger fruit I know.! Is it any good for eating fresh. This species produces a very tasteful fruit though smaller of size.

Yes it's pretty decent tasting, kind of like a milky plum. They haven't been selected for good quality fruits, mostly for fool proof thorny landscaping, yet some of them are still quite good.

[Soren]

C. macrocarpa should be a Southafrican native - I am sure there could be good selections made there. C. edulis have a nice berry-flavor rich taste, so I am definitely not done with the Carissa spp.

[fruitlovers]

C. macrocarpa should be a Southafrican native - I am sure there could be good selections made there. C. edulis have a nice berry-flavor rich taste, so I am definitely not done with the Carissa spp.

Is the edulis as thorny as the macrocarpa?

[Soren]

edulis is thorny, not very - but enough to be used as a living protective fence.

[lkailburn]

I love threads like these! Always fun to learn about new plants. (new to me )

-Luke