Forest Num-num

14 Replies

Carissa bispinosa

Despite its name, the Forest Num-num occurs in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from savannas and woodlands to forests. It grows mostly as an evergreen shrub, usually multi-stemmed and often scrambling in growth form, or rarely a small tree of up to 5m tall, covered by sharp, forked spines. The Forest Num-num flowers in Spring and Summer and the berries ripen on the tree from March to October.

The fruit of the Forest Num-num is eaten by humans (even as a jam), primates and birds, and the root is used in traditional medicine as a treatment for toothache. It is a beautiful addition to a garden in frost-free areas, attracting lots of insects and birds, and can be used as a hedge.

In South Africa, the Forest Num-num grows from Cape Town all along the southern coast of the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces, throughout Kwazulu-Natal and the eastern Free State, over most of  Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Beyond our borders the Forest Num-num grows as far north as Kenya.

Forest Num-num
Forest Num-num
Forest Num-num
Forest Num-num
Forest Num-num

14 thoughts on “Forest Num-num”

  2. wetanddustyroads's avatarwetanddustyroads

    Ek’s mal daaroor as jy altyd die medisinale voordele van sommige van hierdie plante uitwys! Ek bedoel, tandpyn … dis ‘n plantjie wat ons almal in die tuin (of medisyne kissie) moet hê 😉.

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    1. DeWetsWild's avatarDeWetsWild Post author

      I don’t find ripe fruit on them often enough during the times that we visit places where they grow, Anne (seems they ripen outside of school holidays!)

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      1. Anne's avatarAnne

        There was a hedge of them along the car park at the school I taught at and my daughter has a bush in her garden. These num-nums are yum-yum 🙂

  4. sustainabilitea's avatarsustainabilitea

    Love the name. Sounds like something from a fairy tale…the land of the Num-nums. 😉. Pretty but there are those pesky thorns. We have our share of thorns here too.

    Speaking of fairy tales, how about that Boks win? Talk about leaving it until the last minute! I was certain they were going to lose but thank goodness for Pollard!!

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    1. DeWetsWild's avatarDeWetsWild Post author

      I love the name too! Just imagine the shape of your lips as you say “num-num”!

      I don’t think my heart will be able to cope with another rugby game like that SA-England game this past weekend! In the end it was a good day for South Africa over England in World Cups, as we also resoundingly beat them in the cricket the same day. Both games invented by the English, only to be trounced by “the colony”. 😀

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