The listing, ACEROLA FRUIT TREE (6 SEEDS) has ended.
The acerola is typically found in dry, thorn-woodlands as a deciduous tree. It grows in San Diego County, coastal Southern California and in more extreme areas with protection. There are trees in Riverside, Calif. and San Bernardino County. In general, acerola has poor cold tolerance, with young plants typically killed at temperatures below 30° F. Trees can survive brief exposure to 28° F with loss of leaves. Trees are sensitive to wind (shallow root systems). The acerola is drought tolerant, and will adopt a deciduous habit; irrigation results in leaf and flower flush. Plants can easily adapt to pot culture in well-draining, limed soil. The plant prefers full sun for fruit development, giving rise to the problem of winter protection in harsher climates. Shaded trees fruit, but at reduced fruit densities, and the plants themselves become somewhat spindly. Due to its shallow and smaller root system, acerola can be interplanted with other crops more closely than many trees.