THE MOUNTAIN TREE: AFRICAN CHERRY- Erakina

African cherry is a tree from the mountain region of tropical Africa and Madagascar. This fruit is popularly called agbalumo and is considered as crowns of large-diameter trees which are majestic and are spread out, 900- 3400 ft above sea level.
This fruit popularly called as agbalumo and considered as crowns of large-diameter trees which are majestic and are spreaded out, 900- 3400 ft above sea level.

Classification of African cherry

Kingdom – Plantae
Clade – Tracheophytes
Clade – Angiosperms
Order – Rosales
Family – Rosaceae
Genus – Prunus
Species – Africana

Red African cherry

This plant is widely distributed in Africa and requires a moist climate with moderate annual rainfall tolerant for frost with a canopy of a stagnant height of 30-40 m. P. Africana looks to be a secondary-forest plant that requires a lot of light. The bark is scaly, corrugated, or fissured and black to brown. It fissures in a rectangular pattern.
The leaves are alternating, simple, 8–20 cm (3.1–7.9 in) long, elliptic, bluntly or acutely pointed, glabrous, dark green above, pale green below, with somewhat serrated margins, and 8–20 cm (3.1–7.9 in) long, elliptic, bluntly or acutely pointed, glabrous, and dark green above, pale green below and petiole is red or pink, the flower is androgynous which blooms in October.

Cherries on wooden table with water drops macro

The fruit grows in a bunch in a drupe, red to brown in. Extrafloral nectaries of Prunus Africana provide a nutrition supply for antiherbivore insects in exchange for preserving the foliage. Prunus Africana is a major food source for frugivorous birds and mammals, in addition to its timber and medicinal benefits.
Prunus Africana proved to be a source of different health benefits traditionally as well as in today’s aspects. Each part of the plant is used in various ways like as a wound dressing, purgative, and appetite stimulant; also to cure fevers, malaria, arrow poisoning, stomach ache, kidney illness, gonorrhea, and insanity.

Moreover, some other sources are:

Fulfill the scarcity of Vitamins through its fleshy fruit which has enormous amounts of ascorbic acid and other nutrients which encourage a balanced diet.
Reduce menstrual cramps by adding calcium into the body which increase strength and prevents vomiting in pregnant women due to sourness in its taste, also due to the presence of nutrients and antioxidants it lowers blood pressure and avoids heart diseases.[African cherry]
Helps as antibacterial and to treat disease against different bacterial isolates which are proved by different research scientist
The fibers of this plant also help to reduce weight which keeps the stomach full and prevents overeating, also prevents disease like diabetes.

Soar cherry on tree Hanging

However as the bark of these trees used traditionally made them endangered. P. Africana is still being harvested from the wild.[African cherry] The South African Forestry Department has issued quotas without appropriate forest inventories as a result of some harvesters, pushed on by high prices, cutting too much bark in an unsustainable manner.[African cherry]
Approximately 35,000 debarked trees were treated annually in the 1990s. The increased demand for the tree’s bark has led to its cultivation for therapeutic purposes.[African cherry]

Pests and diseases

Cherries with Monilinia laxa Generally, the cherry can be a difficult fruit tree to grow and keep alive.
In Europe, the first visible pest in the growing season soon after blossom (in April in western Europe) usually is the black cherry aphid (“cherry blackfly”, Myzus cerasi), which causes leaves at the tips of branches to curl, with the blackfly colonies exuding a sticky secretion which promotes fungal growth on the leaves and fruit.

Internal links:

Forbidden Fruit, Grapefruit- Erakina

Jatoba Fruit, What you know about it’s medicinal benefits? -Erakina

Do you know this durian fruit with divine taste and a horrible smell -Erakina