False Turkeyberry – 5 Seeds

False Turkeyberry (Plectroniella armata / Canthium armatum) is a shrub or small tree with thorns and fragrant white flowers in summer followed by edible fruits, yellow or reddish when ripe, with a shape that varies based on the quantity of seeds.

People eat the fruits, which can also be used to make a jelly. The leaves are also edible and the sap is used to make beer in Eswatini. It makes a very good thorny barrier hedge, and can be trimmed to shape or left informal, and it is a good plant to grow to attract fruit-eating birds to the garden.

Common names: armed turkey-berry, false turkey-berry (Eng.); valsbokdrol, basterbokdrol (Afr.); umphembedu, umvuthwamini, isikhwakwane-inkomazi (isiZulu); mufhaladzi-tshitangu, mulivhadza-tshitangu (Tshivenda); insangonsango, sangongongo, umvutfwamini wemahlatsi (siSwati)

Growing False Turkeyberry

Indoor Sowing: Spring.

Direct Sowing: Spring and Early Summer.

• Sow the seeds in spring or early summer.
• Scarify the seed coat.
• Sow the seeds in a seed tray filled with a sandy soil mix.
• Put the tray in a warm spot and keep the soil mix moist.
• Germination in about 4 weeks.
• Leave the seedlings in the tray until the following spring and then transfer them into pots or potting bags.
• Grow in well-drained, sandy soil in sun or semi-shade.
• Plants will flower and fruit better in a sunny position.