Pereskia grandifolia

>Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 23:04:39 +0000
>From: Judy Showers <jshowers@epix.net>
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>To: Medit-Plants <Medit-Plants@ucdavis.edu>
>Subject: Pereskia grandifolia
>Reply-To: jshowers@epix.net
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> I just started this plant from seed & know almost nothing about it except it looks like it could be a succulent. Can anybody tell me a bit more about this plant, how tall it gets, what does the flower look like, etc? Thanks, Judy Showers, greenhouse grower in Pennsylvania, zone 6b
>
> It is a huge primitive cactus with abundant entire glossy leaves.
It will cover an entire house in southern Cal but I grown mine
indoors in a large pot in Berkeley. It likes bright light and a
surprising amount of water. It is part vine-like and also part scandant
shrub.

It has a large woody trunk, many branches and large bright pink
slightly fragrant flowers. Its common name is "Barbado's Gooseberry".
It is self fertile and produces piles of fruits which I have never
tasted--they smell citrusy. It has clusters of long, black lethal
spines.

I love mine but most visitors give it wide berth. I let it dry up
over winter and then resume watering in May. This causes it to lose
all its old foliage and bloom like crazy for 2-3 months.

Best wishes!


Michael Barclay






Michael D. Barclay, Really Special Plants & Gardens, Kensington, CA
Cal Hort Council
opga@wenet.net Growing 2,000 species fifteen miles from the Golden Gate!
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