Eland's sour-fig
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5Will it grow where I live?
Eland's sour-fig is not winter-hardy in Central Europe (zone 9): outdoors from spring to autumn only, otherwise a container plant overwintered frost-free. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.
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Profile
- Family
- Aizoaceae
- Habit
- perennial
- Height
- 0.3 m
- Spread
- 2 m
- Growth
- very fast
- Lifespan
- 30 years
- First yield
- after 2 years
- Hardiness
- zone 9–11
- Shade tolerance
- full sun
- Soil
- Sand
- Soil moisture
- Desert – semi-dry
- pH
- 5.5 – 8
- Synonyms
- Sally-my-handsome, Red hottentot fig
Flowering & harvest
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowering | ||||||||||||
| Fruit harvest | ||||||||||||
| Leaf harvest |
Uses
Growing
Sonniger, sandiger Standort an Küsten und Trockenhängen. Sehr salz- und trockenheitstolerant, schnellwüchsig als Bodendecker, frostfrei halten.
Frequently asked questions
Eland's sour-fig: how big does it get?
Eland's sour-fig (Carpobrotus acinaciformis) grows as a perennial and reaches roughly 0.3 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 2 m. Growth is very fast.
Eland's sour-fig: what site does it need?
Eland's sour-fig tolerates full sun. Suitable soils are Sand. Soil moisture should be in the range Desert – semi-dry. The pH may lie between 5.5 and 8.
Eland's sour-fig: is it hardy?
Eland's sour-fig is listed as hardy in zone 9–11 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Eland's sour-fig: will it grow in Central Europe?
Eland's sour-fig is not winter-hardy in Central Europe (zone 9): outdoors from spring to autumn only, otherwise a container plant overwintered frost-free. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.
Eland's sour-fig: when does it flower?
In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate it flowers from May to July.
Eland's sour-fig: when is it harvested?
In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate the fruit ripens from July to September.
Eland's sour-fig: is it poisonous?
No toxicity is recorded for Eland's sour-fig. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone — only on a confident identification.
Eland's sour-fig: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 3/10, Medicinal 1/10, Other uses 5/10.
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Community experience
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