Acerola
Acerola, also known as Barbados cherry or West Indian cherry, is grown to a minor extent in the frost-free regions of Florida and in Hawaii, primarily in home gardens.
This plant is most noted for the extremely high ascorbic acid (vitamin C) content of its fruit, with 10 to 40 mg of edible fruit, far more than any other known fruit. One fruit the size of a large sweet cherry can furnish a man's daily requirement of this vitamin.
The fruit, which is also rich in iron, is used in sherbet, ice cream, and jelly and baby foods, fruit nectars, and soft drinks.
The juice of an acerola retains its cherry-red color and flavor if it is processed and frozen immediately. The development of a chemical method of producing vitamin C has reduced the need for acerola.
Acerola is a shrub or small tree to 15 feet tall, with thick spreading branches and conspicuous raised white lenticels or "breathing pores" in its bark. The plants are set 6 to 15 feet apart and bear when about 2 years old.
The fruit is light orange to dark red, three lobed, soft, thin skinned, and juicy and looks somewhat like a small, rather flat tomato. It ripens 3 to 4 weeks after flowering. Some fruits are sweet, whereas others may be tart. They may be borne singly or in clusters of two or three.
