The characteristic differences of the malpighia and the etymology of its name, advice on growing a plant in indoor conditions, how to reproduce with your own hands, diseases and pests, curious notes, species. Malpighia belongs to the genus of flowering plants belonging to the Malpighiaceae family, representatives of which can be found all over the world in those territories where the tropical climate is widespread. But the range of this plant falls on the region of Central and South America. Malpighia began its origins in the regions of the West Indies, as well as those regions that extend from the northern lands of South America, reaching the state of Texas (USA). The genus contains about 45 species.
This specimen of flora bears its scientific name thanks to Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694), a famous physician and biologist from Italy, who is one of the founders of the theory of the microscopic structure (anatomy) of flora and fauna. But to the majority, some species of this plant are known under more common names - "Barbados cherry", since the Malpighia plantings are especially numerous on the island of Barbados. In England, it is called acerola (acerola). Also on hearing there are other terms of this tropical tree (or shrub) - tropical cherry, Indian cherry, naked malpighia, Puerto Rican cherry.
All varieties of the genus are evergreens that have a shrub or tree shape. Malpighia shoots are often characterized by a pubescent surface. The height of all Malpighia ranges from 1 to 6 meters. On the branches, in the next order, simple leaf plates grow, differing in lengths of about 0.5-15 cm. The edge of the leaves can be either whole or with a jagged edge. The surface of the foliage is glossy, leathery, painted in a rich dark green color scheme. The shape of the leaf plates is ovoid or oblong.
When flowering, which falls in the summer, single buds begin to open or they can be collected in bunches or in umbrella inflorescences. They can contain from a couple to several bisexual flowers. The diameter of each flower reaches 1–2 cm. The corolla has five petals with a snow-white, pink, red or purple hue.
After pollination of flowers, fruits ripening with the appearance of drupes with a red, orange or dark red, purple color of a glossy surface. The size of the fruit can vary from the size of a small cherry to a medium plum. Inside, there are usually 2-3 hard (hard) seeds, each of which is distinguished by the presence of three faces. The plant is grown in its native lands precisely because of its sweet and juicy fruits, which are considered very rich in vitamin C. The taste of acerola fruits is sweet, often with a bitter aftertaste. From the beginning of the opening of the buds to the full ripening of the drupes, an average of 3-4 weeks pass. However, it is required to harvest very quickly, since in a ripe state they quickly fall to the soil and begin to deteriorate.
Thanks to its fruits, the plant bears a second name - the Barbados cherry, although this representative of the flora has no direct relation to the cherry. The flesh of the berries is crispy, sometimes it is divided into slices, which is not typical for cherry fruits. They are used both raw and dried or jerky. The color of the pulp is yellowish orange. Malpighia berries are used not only for food, but also with success for medical purposes, since their vitamin C content is higher than even in citrus fruits. Grown for harvesting fruits in the lands of Barbados and Jamaica, in Western India, Puerto Rico, as well as in Madagascar and Suriname. Due to its interesting appearance, Malpighia is often cultivated in bonsai-style rooms.
Tips for growing Malpighia, home care
- Lighting. It is recommended to place the plant in a place with bright, but diffused light - on the windowsills of an eastern or western location.
- Content temperature. They maintain year-round heat indicators in the range of 20-24 degrees, allowing the temperature to drop at night only to 15 units. For a short time, malpighia can tolerate 10-12 degrees.
- Air humidity when growing acerola in indoor conditions, it is not a playing factor, the plant can withstand dry air, but in summer, daily spraying of the surface of the soil and leaves is recommended.
- Watering. If the malpighia grows in an ordinary pot, then watering should be moderate all year round, if the heat indices decrease, then the soil is slightly moistened. If the plant is in a low bonsai pot, then in the summer watering is carried out by immersing the container in a basin of water. The substrate is completely saturated with moisture when bubbles stop rising from its surface. Only soft and warm water is used.
- Fertilizers. From the end of winter to mid-autumn, liquid universal complexes of mineral dressings are introduced with a frequency of once every 10-15 days, at other times, fertilizers are needed only once a month.
- Transplant and selection of soil for acerola. With the arrival of spring or in the summer months, Indian cherries are transplanted annually, and when the plant reaches a large size, the pot is changed only once every 2-3 years. The tree is removed from the container and its root system is examined, and if it has grown too much, then it needs to be pruned a little. All "wounds" are sprinkled with a powder of crushed activated or charcoal. The new capacity does not increase in size too much, since the root system of the malpighia is not large. You can pick up a not too deep pot or take a wide and low bowl (in the event that the tree does not remain unattended for a long time). A layer of drainage material is placed on the bottom of the new container, although this is not a requirement. It is recommended to mix the substrate for tropical cherry from turf and garden soil, leaf humus, river sand and a small amount of clay. Also, flower growers combine Akadama (very heavily fired Japanese clay intended for bonsai) with lava or zeolite, adhering to a 2: 1 ratio. It is recommended to sift Akkadam before use. It is only important to remember that after two years it begins to deteriorate.
- General tips for caring for Barbados cherries. Since the Malpighia has a rather high growth rate, it is recommended to carry out regular pruning of shoots with the arrival of spring, while active vegetation has not yet begun. They are shortened to a third pair of leaf plates. It is also necessary to deal with the constant molding of the crown of the plant. This operation can be carried out at any time using wire and tensioning devices. However, it should be remembered that the wire should not be left for longer than three months, since then the branches will be damaged during removal.
How to reproduce malpighia with your own hands?
To get a new plant, sowing of seeds or a vegetative method is used.
As the latter, cuttings or rooting of cuttings are used. Such reproduction is carried out in spring or summer. Cuttings should be cut from semi-lignified shoots with a couple of leaves. The length of the cuttings should be 8–10 cm. The cuttings are planted in peat-sandy soil, poured into pots. Before planting, you can process the cut of the workpiece with a root formation stimulator. Cuttings root best in a greenhouse with bright but diffused lighting. The temperature is maintained at 22-24 degrees and a glass jar or a plastic bottle with a cut neck is placed on top.
Maintenance consists in keeping the soil moderately moist and ventilated. Watering is best done with warm and soft water. After 2 months, the cuttings usually take root and young Malpighia seedlings can be transplanted into separate pots with a selected substrate. Plants obtained in this way bear fruit in the second year.
When it is decided to propagate acerola by sowing seeds, then, due to the hard surface, it is recommended to carry out scarification. That is, with the help of sandpaper, the surface of the seed is gently wiped, but the main thing here is not to damage the inner part. Or the seeds are soaked in water overnight. Planting is carried out in a moist peat-sandy substrate. Glass is placed on top of the pot (you can wrap a container with crops in a plastic bag). Crop care - daily ventilation and if the soil is dry, then it is moistened with a spray bottle.
Seeds germinate in 14-30 days from the moment of planting. Then it is recommended, by removing the shelter for a longer time, to gradually accustom young Malpighia to indoor conditions. When a pair of true leaves is formed on the seedlings, they can be carefully transplanted into separate pots, with more fertile soil. Over time, it is necessary to pinch the elongated shoots to stimulate branching.
Diseases and pests affecting malpighia with indoor care
Florists can be pleased with the fact that the plant is very rarely affected by pests that attack the flora when the air in the rooms is too dry. However, it should be noted that if the irrigation regime is violated (that is, the amount of water is insufficient or too exaggerated), then the malpighia very quickly begins to dump its foliage. Also, since acerola is a "inhabitant" of the tropics, when the temperature drops to less than 20 degrees, the plant can also lose its foliage. Barbados cherry also suffers from direct rays of the sun, which cause burns to the leaves. You will need to move the plant pot to a more shaded place or hang curtains on the window.
Curious notes and photos of the Barbados cherry
There is information that it is recommended to collect drupes of malpighia in a semi-ripe state, as soon as the content of vitamin C in them becomes maximum. Usually, the fruits are not only consumed raw, but they are used to make preserves, jams, jellies, or simply dried. It is known that up to 95% of the vitamin C contained in the sweet-sour pulp of the fruit can be extracted from the Barbados cherry. Then, the liquid is evaporated from the resulting mass, bringing it to a powder form, which is used to make a concentrate.
If we talk again about vitamin C, the main advantage of malpighia fruits, then in edible pulp per 100 grams of weight it accounts for up to 1000–3300 mg. When comparing acerola berries with the amount of the same vitamin in the pulp of an orange, this parameter exceeds that of citrus by 15-100 times. Fruits contain not only vitamins A, B1, B2 and B3, but also carotenoids and bioflavonoids, which provide important nutritional value and have antioxidant effects. Because of this saturation with vitamin C, the fruits of the Barbados cherry are usually used to treat colds, in particular the common cold.
There is a variety of Malpighia - Crimson, which is usually cultivated in tropical climates due to the fact that its plantings allow the formation of sheared hedges of miniature size. Caterpillars belonging to the family Allosmaitia strophius are also known to feed on Malpighia fruits.
Types of malpighia
Malpighia crimson (Malpighia coccigera). This species is native to the lands of the Caribbean islands, but the territory of Western India is considered to be its native range. The plant also bears the name Cockeger Malpighia, "Singapore holly" or "dwarf holly", since its leaf plates are very similar in shape to this representative of the flora, but it is clear that it is not a true holly belonging to the genus Ilex. The height of such shrubs rarely exceeds 1 m. Leaves with an ovoid-oblong shape grow on the branches in the next order. The surface of the foliage is glossy, with a beautiful rich dark green color scheme. The edge of the leaves is very coarsely serrated, which makes them similar to holly. The length of the leaves reaches two centimeters. Although the plant forms flowers of a snow-white color, it does not bear fruit, but if they appear, then they are very small in size. The berries are usually red in color. From the beautiful thickets of this species, hedges are formed, and in indoor conditions, bonsai is grown from the plant, striking in its outlines.
Malpighia glabra. The fruits of this particular variety are usually called the Barbados cherry or acerola. Often confused with Malpighia emarginata, the plants differ in fruit size and flower structure. The plant can take the form of both a shrub and a small tree with evergreen deciduous mass. The crown is quite dense, branching, wide in shape. The height usually does not exceed 3 m in nature, but when cultivated, the size reaches one and a half meters. The branches are thin, with alternate simple leaves on them. The surface of the leaf plate is leathery, shiny, dark green. The shape of the leaf is oval, in length it varies within 2–7 cm. But when the foliage is still young, it pleases the eye with a rather decorative wine-red color scheme, which changes over time to green.
Pomegranate malpighia (Malpighia punicifolia). The lands of the West Indies and Central America are considered to be the native growing territories. The plant has the shape of a shrub, with a dense and highly branched crown. Its height is 3 meters, the leaves are medium-sized, leathery. The color is dark green. If the variety is grown as a pot crop, then it takes on the shape of a compact bush, reaching only up to 1 meter in height with its shoots. Begins to bear fruit in the first year with red berries.
Malpighia emarginata is a tropical fruit shrub or small evergreen tree. It can also be called acerola, Barbados cherry (in western India), wild crepe myrtle or seriz (in Haitian or Creole dialects). It is distributed in the territories of South America, southern Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Brazil and Central America, but now it also grows both in the north and in Texas and in subtropical regions of Asia such as India. However, the Yucatan Peninsula is considered to be the homeland of this species. Today it is grown in the tropics and subtropics around the world, including the Canary Islands, Ghana, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, India, Java, Hawaii and Australia. The height of the plant is 2-3 meters, but there are specimens with a height of 6 meters. The shape of the leaf plate is simple, ovate-lanceolate, varying in length within the range of 2–8 cm with a width of about 1–4 cm. Leaves are attached alternately to the branches by means of short petioles. The edge can be solid or wavy and has small hairs that can irritate the skin.
The flowers are bisexual, with a diameter of 1–2 cm. There are 5 petals in the corolla, their color ranges from pale pink to dark pink or red. Inside the corolla there are 10 stamens and 6 to 10 glands on the calyx. The inflorescence can consist of 3-5 buds, which are sessile or with short axillary curls.
After 3 years from planting, the trees begin to bear fruit with berries with a diameter of 1-3 cm. Their weight ranges from 3-5 grams. Fruits grow in groups or in groups of three and contain three triangular seeds inside.
