Malpighiaceae
How to identify an acerola shrub
Malpighia emarginata · also called Barbados cherry, cereja das Antilhas (Portuguese)
A small, bright-red, cherry-like fruit with exceptionally high vitamin C content — among the highest of any fruit. Mostly processed into juice, pulp, or supplements due to a very short fresh shelf life; a major commercial crop in Brazil.
Field marks
These features are typical of the genus Malpighia, so they help confirm you are looking at the right group; the fruit and the details below separate the species.
- A shrub or small tree with small, opposite leaves.
- Fruit is cherry-sized, bright red when ripe, and slightly three-lobed.
Check a photo
Photograph one whole, mature leaf from above, or a flower or fruit, and the identifier will return ranked matches. If acerola is the top result, the field marks above are your second opinion.
Leaves, flowers, fruit, or bark — closer and sharper identifies better. Your photo is identified and discarded, never stored.
Where and when you will find it
- Origin / cultivation history
- Caribbean / northern South America
- USDA zones
- 9b-11
- Climate
- Tropical to subtropical, drought-tolerant once established, shrubby and prolific.
- Fruiting season
- Season not documented; check local sources
- How often grown
- Uncommon in cultivation
A shrub growing well outside the climate above is more likely to be a look-alike.
Growing it: seedling or grafted?
A young shrub with no fruit is harder to identify and easy to mislabel, so it helps to know how long it takes to reach fruiting age and how it is usually propagated.
- Years to first fruit
- Seedling/cutting 1-2 yrs
- Propagation
- Cuttings (for named selections), seed.
Relatives in the Malpighiaceae family
Close relatives share many features, so these are the most likely mix-ups.
Map your acerola plants
CanopyTwin keeps every tree on a map with its species, cultivar, photos and history, and counts flowers and fruit from survey photos. It is built for orchards, nurseries and collectors of tropical and rare fruit.
More identification guides: free plant identifier · tropical fruit tree identifier · fruit tree identifier · all species guides