One of the most suitable landscape shrubs for a dry climate and mild winter garden is the Natal Plum, Carissa macrocarpa. It fulfills a number of design functions being attractive, very modest in its water requirements, hardy to most soil types other than boggy ones, suitable for sea-coast situations, and virtually untouched by pests and disease. An often overlooked property is its soft, tasty and decorative, sour/sweet fruit, which follow the pretty and fragrant white blooms.

Natal Plum reaches about 2 meters in both height and width, with a fairly open form that can be made more compact with careful pruning. Its finest quality in my view is the delicate oval shape and fine texture of the leaves. The Carissa is possibly unique and unmatched in this department. Furthermore, it associates quite beautifully with other bushes of similar growth habit and leaf texture, such as Coprosma, Raphiolepis, and the evergreen Sumac, Rhus ovata. It can either be the dominant species in a shrub combination, or used sparingly as a subtle accent plant.

There are other uses to which Carissa macrocarpa can be put. Carefully pruned up, it can transformed into a mini tree, creating a clear emphasis and even focal point. There is also a prostrate variety available now called "Green Carpet", that grows to about a meter in height but can be kept much lower by regular shearing, thereby serving as a valuable ground cover. It is successfully grown as a sheared, formal hedge, but by so doing, the beautiful textural effect is diminished, as is of course the amount of flowers and fruit.

Care, maintenance and drawbacks

Unfortunately, not all is rosey in the Carissa garden;it does have some drawbacks that should be taken note of. Natal Plum is not hardy to cold and should only be grown in frost-free areas. The plant is somewhat thorny, but not dangerously so. The leaves are hard, rubbery and prickly, and so the plant should not be located close to paths and entrances. More serious is the white poisonous sap in the leaves, but the chance of someone chewing and swallowing them are virtually non-existent, as the extremely bitter taste would force a person to spit them out immediately. Pruning though should be carried out wearing gloves and eye protectors, while ones mouth should be kept firmly shut, in order to avoid sap squirting into it! Its growth rate varies according to location.

Originating from South Africa, Carissa can be grown with very little irrigation. In Mediterranean climates it can survive without additional water, but will perform best with about 200mm (200 liters per square meter) per year. While the leaves are poisonous, the fruit are perfectly edible. It is worth noting that Carissa is one of those rare fruiting shrubs or trees, which is virtually pest free, making it a "must" plant not only for dry climate gardens, but organic ones as well.