Dovyalis caffra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dovyalis caffra
Dovyalis caffra flowers
Scientific classification

The Kei apple (also called Dovyalis caffra) is a small to medium-sized tree. It is native to southern Africa. You can find it from the Kei River in the south, all the way north to Tanzania. The name "Kei apple" comes from the Kei River. Its ripe fruits are delicious and taste a bit like a small apple.

This tree usually grows in dry woodlands. There, it can reach about 6 meters (20 feet) tall. In wetter, open woodlands, it grows even taller, up to 8 or 9 meters (26-30 feet). The Kei apple tree has sharp spines, about 3 to 6 centimeters (1-2 inches) long. These spines grow where the leaves meet the stem. Its leaves are simple and oval-shaped, about 3 to 6 centimeters long.

The flowers of the Kei apple are small and don't have petals. Some trees have male flowers, and other trees have female flowers. This means you need both a male and female tree to get fruit. However, some female plants can produce fruit all by themselves!

The fruit is a bright yellow or orange berry. It is round and about 2.5 to 4 centimeters (1-1.5 inches) wide. The skin and inside of the fruit are the same color. Each fruit has several small seeds. The tree often produces many fruits, making the branches heavy in summer. The fruits are juicy, tasty, and quite acidic.

Growing and Using Kei Apples

The Kei apple is a traditional food plant in Africa. This fruit is not very well-known, but it can help improve nutrition. It can also boost food security and support local farming.

People often eat Kei apples fresh. They sometimes sprinkle sugar on them to make them less tart. Besides eating them fresh, you can make the fruit into jam. It is also used in desserts or can be pickled. Because the fruit is naturally acidic, you don't need to add vinegar for pickling. In Kenya, people often use Kei apple trees to make strong fences and hedges.

Even though it comes from southern Africa, the Kei apple now grows in other places. These include the Mediterranean region, California, and Florida. It also grows in other areas with warm climates. In these places, it is often grown as an ornamental plant. It makes a very good, thick hedge that is hard to get through. The tree can handle salt and drought. This makes it useful for planting near the coast in dry areas.

The Kei apple is a subtropical plant, but it can survive cold temperatures. It can live even when temperatures drop to about -6 °C (21 °F). If you want fruit, you need a female plant. It is best to have both a fertile female and a fertile male plant. Kei apples are grown from seeds. The plants will start to produce fruit about four years later.

Kei Apple in Nature

The Kei apple species is considered invasive in New Caledonia. This means it can spread easily and sometimes take over native plants there.

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  Ripe Kei apple fruit

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  Unripe Kei apple fruit

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  Sharp thorns on a Kei apple branch

See also

In Spanish: Dovyalis caffra para niños