Leaf cactus, also known as Barbados gooseberry vine, lemon vine, blade apple, gooseberry shrub, Pereskia aculeate, is a member of the Cactaceae Juss, family, Genus Pereskia, native to the West Indies, Guyana, Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil.


It is capable of adjusting to an assortment of tropical and subtropical climatic conditions and has the potentiality to overrun coastal tropical and subtropical regions where could turn in to a weed in some areas. it has a disposition to form large dense clumps and one would need to be ‘alert’.

Leaf cactus is a perennial, prickly, climbing shrub that impounds itself to trees in a vine-like style achieving up to 12 meters in height. It has lengthy, slender prickles in groups on the trunk of the plant, and short arching spikes in pairs on the branches.

Flowers are perfumed, white or pale yellow, occasionally maturing to pink, about 20-55 mm in diameter, usually nocturnal and normally grouped together to produce beautiful bunches.

It bears unusually shaped, small, edible fruits, 25 to 45 mm in diameter; yellow or orange-reddish, with a thin skin and many soft seeds. When mature, these fruits are succulent, but slightly tart. Fruit is also popular with birds.

Propagation is usually from branch cuttings, leaves but largely by seeds from birds eating the fruit, frequently from garden plants. Leaf cactus prefers light shade environments. The spread of leaf cactus throughout the world has been helped by its numerous uses as a nutritional, medicinal and ornamental plant.

The fruits can be consumed raw, but are generally stewed or made into preserves, deserts, jams, and the leaves are high in nutritional value. Leaves can be cooked as a green vegetable or used in salads and soups.

Leaf cactus, Barbados-gooseberry, lemon vine

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