Bloubos | Bluebush – Diospyros lycioides
The Bloubos, Diospyros lycioides, is an evergreen shrub or small, fruit bearing tree, up to 5 meters tall, multi-stemmed, with an open crown, swagging branches and smooth grey bark. The Bloubos also known by the common names of Bluebush, Monkey Plum and Red Star Apple, is indigenous to Southern Africa and parts of Botswana and Eastern Namibia.
Diospyros lycioides leaves are small, narrow, slightly leathery, blue-green, ovate to oblanceolate, organized spirally at the ends of the branches. Flowers are aromatic, creamy-white, 8-15mm in diameter, solitary, axillary. Male and female flowers are born on separate trees. It is necessary to plant both female and male plants to produce fruit.
Bloubos Fruit
The Bloubos fruits are attractive, colorful, marble-sized, 2cm in diameter, juicy berries with a pleasant, sweetish-bitter taste and jelly like flesh when mature. Young fruit is covered by hairs, but it becomes smooth when ripe and turns from red to auburn to black with a clearly star-shaped calyx. Fruit while edible should be consumed only in moderation. Fruit can dry on the tree and persist on into the next flowering season.
Bloubos Propagation Methods
Plant propagation is from seeds soaked in hot water overnight. Bloubos favors stony habitats and well-drained soils, in full sun place. It is a very tough plant and can be thicket-forming. Depending on the climate it can be a slow to fast-growing plant but in general young plants will row very fast. It is a frost and drought tolerant plant. Diospyros lycioides is a member of the family Ebenaceae the genus Diospyros.
Bloubos, Diospyros lycioides
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