Barbados Cherry: The “Crepe Myrtle Cherry” You Need in Your Garden
You might know it as Barbados Cherry, Wild Crepe Myrtle, West Indian Cherry, or Acerola, all common names for Malpighia glabra, but if you ask me, this plant deserves to be called the Crepe Myrtle Cherry! Due to its ornamental value, numerous crepe myrtle like blooms, and productive and attractive sweet and/or sour cherries.
Native to places like Texas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and down to northern South America, this plant is surprisingly non-native in Florida. Even with it occurring at this attitude in the colder Texas and it has island hopped naturally all through the West Indies. Despite this, it is far from invasive—this tropical gem is a Florida-Friendly plant that thrives without causing harm to our local ecosystems. In fact, it’s widely planted across the state, offering a vibrant, functional addition to any garden or landscape. And trust me, you’ll want to learn more about this small tree!
A Versatile Landscape Plant
The Barbados Cherry has so much to offer, and one of its most impressive features is its versatility. It makes a stunning hedge or large screen due to its fine-textured leaves, abundant pink flowers, and striking red cherries. This shrub can easily grow to a height of 10-15 feet, making it perfect for privacy or as a natural divider between spaces. If you’re looking for a small tree, it also makes an excellent choice as a slow-growing tree, with its bright blossoms and edible fruit adding both beauty and utility to your landscape.

One of the best parts about this plant is that it’s highly adaptable. Barbados Cherry can handle drought conditions once established, making it perfect for Florida’s hot, dry spells. However, it’s important to note that it doesn’t like wet feet—so be careful not to plant it in areas with poor drainage or where the roots could sit in standing water.
Harvesting the Cherry
Here’s where things get really exciting—the fruit! Typically, the harvest happens almost year-round, with November marking the end of the yearly fruiting. The cherries themselves take about 3-4 weeks from bloom to ripen, and you can get up to 8 cycles of blooms per year, depending on rainfall. That means you can enjoy many harvests annually! ️In a commercial setting it is also common to have mature trees produce in excess of 100 pounds of fruit per a tree!
At Twin Lakes Park, we have two Barbados Cherry trees planted in our Educational Outreach Community Food Forest, and after our first season, we’re excited to report that we just harvested the last of their limited fruit this week. Next summer and fall, we hope to have even more cherries to share with visitors!

The Cultivation Side: Bigger Fruit, Bigger Harvests
While these cherries are generally easy to grow from seed, cultivars that have been cultivated for generations (since before Columbus arrived in the Americas!) produce superior results. Named cultivars such as ‘Florida Sweet’ tend to have larger, more abundant fruit.
Culinary Uses: A Cherry with a Purpose
Now, let’s talk about what makes the Barbados Cherry truly stand out: it’s amazing health benefits and culinary uses! This cherry is an absolute vitamin C powerhouse—almost 5% of the fruit’s weight is pure vitamin C, making it one of the richest natural sources of this essential nutrient.
However, these cherries are highly perishable, so you’re unlikely to find them fresh in grocery stores. Instead, they’re often processed into products like fruit juices, soft drinks, baby food, fruit punch, and jam. If you’ve ever enjoyed a tropical fruit punch or a vitamin C-packed beverage, you’ve probably tasted this cherry without even knowing it!
Why Plant More Barbados Cherries?
With its vibrant flowers, edible fruit, and versatility in the landscape, Barbados Cherry is a plant that deserves more attention. Whether you’re looking for a unique hedge, a small fruit tree, or a wildlife-friendly addition to your garden, this tree is a perfect choice. It’s easy to care for, supports local pollinators, and provides healthy fruit for your family or community.
Come visit us at Twin Lakes Park and check out our trees in the Food Forest. We’re just getting started, and next year, we hope you’ll be able to taste these amazing cherries yourself!
- UF/IFAS EDIS Document: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP390
- Growables on Acerola: https://www.growables.org/information/TropicalFruit/barbadoscherry.htm
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