General features and characteristics of the plant, advice on carissa care, recommendations for reproduction, difficulties in cultivation, interesting facts, species. Carissa is a genus of plants belonging to the Apocynaceae family, which includes another 20-30 varieties, mainly found in Africa, Australia and Hong Kong, where there are tropical or subtropical climates. Basically, they are small trees or shrubs with a strongly branched crown, the branches of which are completely covered with sharp thorns.
Carissa bears its name thanks to the Indians, who gave the plants of this genus the name because of the glycoside contained in the bark, which has a bitter taste and poisonous properties, called carrisin. There is another name given to this representative of the flora in Hong Kong - Ka Man (kaman).
Basically, carissa is an evergreen plant, reaching a height of 2 to 10 meters. In this case, the crown can be equal in diameter to the height of the trunk. On thorny branches, waxy leaf plates with oblong, ovoid or oval outlines are placed in opposite order. Their length varies within 3–8 cm. The surface is leathery, shiny, glossy, dark emerald color. Along the central light-green vein, which stands out in contrast against the dark background of the leaf plate, there is a slight addition. The thick thorns that cover the branches grow double-toothed with powerful outlines, and can reach 5 cm in length.
In the greater period of the year, "kaman" is covered with flowers, which consist of five petals. When opening, the diameter of the flower varies in the range of 1–5 cm. The corolla has a tubular shape and its color can be either white or pinkish. The buds are often singly or clustered in small bundle-shaped inflorescences at the ends of the branches. However, the peak of the flowering process occurs during the period from May to September. If the bud is a male flower, then it is larger in size and has large anthers and elongated stamens. The female flowers are much smaller and the anthers are also less developed, and they are also devoid of pollen. The flowers resemble sambac jasmine buds, only their aroma is weaker.
The fruit ripens in the form of a berry, with its outlines reminiscent of a plum. In length, it measures from 1.5 to 6 cm with a width of up to 4 cm. The color can vary from red to dark purple, almost black in color - it depends directly on the variety of carissa. A fully ripe fruit contains 6 to 16 seeds with a flat shape with a brown color or they are translucent. The pulp surrounding the seeds is juicy, may be sweet or bitter in taste, with a red tint, containing latex if the fruit is not yet fully ripe. The skin of this "cream" is thin.
To date, there are bred dwarf varieties of carissa that can already be grown in room conditions, since it will not be possible to form hedges in our climatic conditions due to the instability of the "kaman" to lowering the temperature to the zero mark of the thermometer.
Carissa care rules at home
- Lighting. For the kaman plant, bright and abundant lighting is important. So that its level is constantly in the range of 6000-7800 LK. It is best to grow it on the windowsill of a south-facing window. If there is not enough light, then the branches will begin not to stretch out aesthetically.
- Temperature when growing carissa in the spring-summer period, it is maintained within the range of 18-25 degrees, and with the arrival of autumn, it gradually decreases to 14-18 degrees of heat. Such a decrease will be the key to abundant summer bloom. If you provide proper illumination in the autumn-winter period, then the kaman plant can produce buds and bear fruit all year round.
- Watering. Moistening the soil in the pot should be regular, but at the same time moderate. The plant can withstand some drying out of the earthen coma, but still it is not worth bringing to this, as well as to frequent floods of soil in a pot, the latter can provoke the onset of putrefactive processes. The dried topsoil can serve as a signal for watering, when the soil is taken in a pinch and crumbles. Water for irrigation is taken soft and well-separated, with room temperature.
- Air humidity when keeping a plant, "kaman" does not play a significant role and the carissa can calmly tolerate winter dry air, provoked by hot heating devices. But it is better to maintain humidity values in the region of 45–55%. You can wash it under a warm shower or spray the bushy crown, the plant will love it.
- Fertilizers for carissa, they are introduced year-round with regularity once every 2-3 weeks. In order for flowering to be plentiful, top dressing must contain a sufficient amount of phosphorus, since with an excess of nitrogen, the plant will grow greenery, but bloom less. As soon as the growing season begins to activate, fertilization with iron will be required. In winter, it is recommended to use mineral fertilizing.
- Pollination when grown at home, it is carried out by hand. With the help of a soft brush, pollen is transferred from male flowers to female ovaries.
- Pruning carried out often, since the carissa has a very dense crown and the ability to grow as it wants. It is the branchiness of the shoots that makes them position themselves in a way that is not expected by the florist. Pruning is complicated by the fact that the branches are dotted with sharp and long thorns, but you should not let the growth take its course, as the plant will soon grow so that it will occupy the entire window sill.
- Transplantation and selection of a substrate. While the plant is still young, it will need frequent transplants - every year, when the "kaman" has already reached the age of three, the change of the pot and soil in it is already performed every 3 years. If this is not done, then the leaves will begin to shrink, and growth will slow down. A good drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the new container.
The composition of the soil for carissa does not play a significant role, it is important that it has a slightly alkaline reaction. She shows her growth well in a sandy or humus substrate. Resistant to soil salinity. You can make a soil mixture yourself by combining sod and leafy soil, sod and peat soil, river sand (all parts are taken equal). After transplanting, the plant should be watered thoroughly.
Rules for self-propagation of carissa
To get a young plant "kaman", you can sow seeds or apply cuttings.
With seed reproduction, it can be indicated that the shoots will appear quite quickly (after 14 days), but the seedlings will grow up very slowly. And the flowering of such carissa can be expected only in the 2nd year of life from the time of planting. The seeds are sown in a light moist substrate (peat-sandy), the container is covered with a film to create conditions for a mini-greenhouse. It is necessary to ventilate the crops daily; when the soil dries up, it is moistened with a spray bottle. As soon as sprouts appear, the shelter is removed.
The method of cuttings is simpler, however, cuttings root is problematic, but the "kaman" plants obtained in this way will bloom already this year. Cuttings are cut with the arrival of autumn days. The branch should be taken from the top of the shoot and have 3 internodes. It is recommended to treat the cut with a root formation stimulator. When planting, a substrate based on peat and perlite is used. The cuttings should be wrapped in polyethylene or placed under a glass cover.
In this regard, grafting and layering methods are more preferable.
Difficulties in carissa care and ways to solve them
If these conditions are violated, carissa can be damaged by pests such as spider mites, scale insects, aphids, thrips or whiteflies. When these insects are identified, it is required to wash the plant under warm shower jets, and then treat it with insecticidal preparations with a wide spectrum of action.
If the soil is often flooded or the lighting becomes scarce, then the "kaman" can be affected by rot. In this case, treatment with fungicides is necessary.
Interesting facts about carissa
Ripening carissa fruits are edible and are considered fruits, however, do not forget that all parts of the plant (as well as unripe fruits) are poisonous and use threatens with serious poisoning.
Most often, due to the fact that there are a large number of sharp thorns on the branches, the plant is used in the formation and cultivation of hedges.
In its historical homeland, carissa can be pollinated mainly by nocturnal insects such as moths and bugs. And since in some areas such "living pollinators" simply do not exist (well, they are not found there!), The plant does not bear fruit. Then this process is entirely entrusted to hardworking human hands - cross-pollination saves. When the "kaman" is still very young, it cannot withstand the lowering of the thermometer to 0 or -1 frost, while in adulthood, the carissa is able to survive in frosts of -3 degrees.
In cooking, mashed potatoes and jellies, as well as various fruit salads are prepared from the fruits of the "kaman" plant, that is, everything depends on the flight of the cook's imagination. In Asia, for example, well-ripened berries are used to make kerries, cakes, baked goods and puddings. Skillful cooks prepare jelly from slightly unripe ones, and marinades are made from fruits with a sour taste in India. If the varieties have sweet fruits, then they are eaten fresh, while the sour ones are stewed with sugar.
In medicine, if an astringent is needed, then the fruits of the pencil variety are useful, and a decoction of the leaves can serve as a remedy in the treatment of diarrhea. If you prepare a decoction from the roots, then it has an anthelmintic effect. And since there is salicylic acid in the root processes, as well as cardiac glycosides, they can contribute to a slight decrease in blood pressure.
Types of carissa
- Carissa pencil (Carissa congesta) also found under the name Carissa carandas. It is a shrub plant. It is an evergreen specimen of flora with strong branching. Its height is 3–5 m, numerous branches are covered with sharp thorns, which can grow up to 5 cm in length. A crown with a high density is formed from the branches. The leaf plates are oval or elliptical, the length can reach 2, 5–7, 5 cm. The location on the shoots is paired, the color is dark green, the surface is leathery and glossy on the upper side, on the back they are dull greenish. Flowers with a tubular corolla, white color, have a pleasant aroma. Ripening fruits with an oblong or rounded shape, are 1, 25–2, 5 cm long. Covered with a smooth and glossy, hard skin of crimson-red color. When fully ripe, it changes its color to a dark purple tone, almost to black. The pulp contained inside the fruit has a sweet and sour taste, sometimes even bitterness is present, its color is red with interspersed with latex. Sometimes the fruit fruit contains from 2 to 8 brown seeds surrounded by pulp, small in size and flat in shape. It grows in India, and is also found in Manyanmar, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. It is mainly grown for the formation of hedges, rather than for collecting fruits. However, as a fruit crop, the pencil is grown in the lands of Thailand, Cambodia, South Vietnam and East Africa, including the Philippine Islands. It is problematic to meet her on the American continent.
- Carissa grandiflora (Carissa grandiflora) also referred to as the Berry Plum. It is an evergreen plant with a shrubby form of growth, reaching 4, 5–5, 5 meters in height. Leaf plates with oval contours and a glossy surface do not exceed 2.5–5 cm in length. The shape of the resulting fruit is round or oblong, equal to 6 cm in length and up to 4 cm in width. Until the berry ripens, it is colored green, and when it ripens, its color changes to red. The inside of the fruit is a juicy pulp with a strong aroma, in it there are inclusions of latex and 6-16 thin flattened inconspicuous seeds. Most of all, this variety is widespread in the coastal zones of South Africa and is also cultivated far in the interior of the continent. At the beginning of the 20th century, carissa was introduced (transferred outside the natural habitat) to the island lands of Hawaii and quickly began to spread there. Today, the territories in which this plant is cultivated are the Bahamas, the Philippines, as well as India and East Africa.
- Carissa bispinosa (Carissa bispinosa). This plant can have both shrub and woody forms of growth. The native area of distribution falls on the lands of Zimbabwe and Malawi, and can also be found in Swaziland and the lands of South Africa. Often reaches a height of 5 m. The plant is evergreen and branched, the branches have a repeating branched pattern. The juice of the carissa is milky, and the shoots are covered with pubescence in the form of hairs. The leaf plates are located opposite, they are simple with short petioles, the shape of the leaf is ovoid, broadly ovoid or ovoid-elliptical. The edge of the leaf is smooth, the surface is shiny with a dark green color on top, on the reverse side it is paler, the tip resembles a thorn in outline (it has a heart-shaped shape, with a gradual narrowing towards the tip). In flowers, the color of the corolla is snow-white or pinkish, the size is small. Its outline is in the form of a thin tube, there is a sweetly fragrant aroma. The buds are collected in inflorescences, crowning the ends of the branches. When the fruits are fully ripe, they acquire a red tint. Their shape is ovoid, they are edible, including seeds, although the skin itself is a little milky, it has a pleasant taste. Often, both flowers and fruits can be found on one carissa of this variety.
- Carissa large-fruited (Carissa macrocarpa). A shrub with an evergreen crown, reaching a height of 3-5 meters. The branches grow spread out, flexible, which merge into a rather dense crown. The structure of the shoots is such that using other branches and trunks near growing trees as support, they climb higher and higher. The surface of the branches is smooth, bifurcated, covered with shiny thorns. Oval-shaped leaf plates with a rigid surface, painted in a dark green shade. The flowers have star-shaped outlines, the corolla consists of five white petals, and there is a strong aroma. The fruits ripen in an oblong shape, reaching 1, 5–2, 5 cm in length. Their surface is smooth and hard, red in color, with a slight crimson tint, when full ripening occurs, this color changes to dark purple. The inside of the fruit is pulp with a sweet and sour taste, but there is a slight bitterness. The consistency of the pulp is juicy, its color is red, there are inclusions of latex, and there are also thin rustic seeds inside. The fruits of this variety have found their application, both in cooking and in medicine. There is a variagate form of carissa with greenish-yellow leaves.
