Grewia damine

This small, shrubby garden tree is indigenous to many parts of South, East & West Africa in lowlands & near streams. Grewia bicolor is a slow-growing tree with gray bark that peels with age. The tough, serrated leaves are green above & downy green beneath & the flowers are starry, intricate, yellow & scented. The tree has a multitude of described uses, the most attractive of which for our gardens here is the fruit, which is said to be “sweet, but sharp on the tongue” & has a large seed in the center. The fruit is soft orange, becoming very dark when ripe & can also be juiced & fermented into liquor. Said to be quite hardy & able to take frost but this is as yet untested. Grewia bicolor grows somewhere between 6’-20’ feet tall, but not in a hurry. Regular water & feeding is best.