Carissa carandas, Carissa congesta
Family: Apocynaceae
Karanda
Origin: India
Medium sized vine-like shrub that will climb if given support. This species is a rank-growing, straggly, woody, climbing shrub, usually growing to 10 or 15 ft ,high and sometimes ascending to the tops of tall trees. Rich in white, gummy latex. The karanda is more cold-tolerant than the carissa, is fairly hardy and will survive to 25F. Plants are salt tolerant and can be trained into hedges. It is most fruitful on deep, fertile, well-drained soil but if the soil is too wet, there will be excessive vegetative growth and lower fruit production. The sweeter types may be eaten raw out-of-hand but the more acid ones are best stewed with plenty of sugar. The unripe fruit is used medicinally as an astringent. The ripe fruit is taken as an antiscorbutic and remedy for biliousness. Propagation is usually by seed because cuttings have never rooted readily.
