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Carpobrotus edulis - (L.)L.Bolus.

Hottentot Fig

Author	(L.)L.Bolus.	Botanical references	200
Family	Aizoaceae	Genus	Carpobrotus
Synonyms	Mesembryanthemum edule - L.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	S. Africa - Cape Province. Naturalized in Britain[17].
Habitat	Sandy and rocky places by the sea[260]. Naturalized on cliffs and banks by the sea in Cornwall and S. Devon[17].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.1m by 1m.

The plant prefers light (sandy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats

Ground Cover; Cultivated Beds; South Wall By; West Wall By;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit; Leaves.

Fruit - raw, cooked, dried for later use or made into pickles, chutney etc[1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 183]. There is very little flesh in the fruit and it must be fully ripe otherwise it is very astringent[K]. Mucilaginous and sweetly acid[183]. Leaves - raw or cooked[2, 173]. Succulent, they are eaten in salads and can also be used as a substitute for pickled cucumber[183]. We find them too mucilaginous to be enjoyable[K].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

Fire retardant; Ground cover; Soil stabilization; Tannin.

Used in maritime areas to prevent soil erosion in sandy soils[188, 200]. Plants form a dense carpet and make an effective ground cover[208]. Can be grown as a fire barrier in areas subject to forest fires, it is moderately fire retardant[200]. The dried leaves contain about 19.4% tannin and the dry stems 14.2%[223]. Yields of 1700 kilos per hectare of cultivated plants have been achieved[223].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained sandy soil in a sunny position[1, 200]. Plants can be grown on dry walls or in the flower border[166]. Established plants are very drought resistant[200]. Very resistant to wind and salt spray[166]. Moderately fire-retardant[200]. Plants are not very frost resistant and can be killed by temperatures below about -2°c. They have naturalized themselves on cliffs along the coast of S. Britain but do not succeed inland unless grown in a sunny sheltered position[200]. A vigorous prostrate plant, rooting as it spreads. The flowers only open in the afternoon[200].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow March to June in a greenhouse. Lower night-time temperatures are beneficial. The seed usually germinates in 7 - 10 days at 23°c[138]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings at any time during the growing season. Allow the cutting to dry in the sun for a day or two then pot up in a very sandy mix. Very easy[K].

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[3] Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.

[5] Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974 ISBN 0-00-219060-5
Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[138] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[173] Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990 ISBN 0-340-508302
A very well written and illustrated book based on the authors own experiments with living on a native diet.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[223] Rottsieper. E.H.W. Vegetable Tannins The Forestal Land, Timber and Railways Co. Ltd. 1946
A fairly detailed treatise on the major sources of vegetable tannins.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Carpobrotus edulis

Glenn du Preez Tue May 2 2006

Please revise your medicinal properties of this genus - it is well known in South Africa (most species in the genus occurs here) for its medicinal properties Medicinal uses: Parts Used: Leaves and leaf juice. The juice of the leaf of Carpobrotus species is highly astringent and is used to treat mouth, throat and fungal infections. It is applied to wounds, burns and applied externally to treat eczema. The juice is also used internally for dysentry, digestive troubles, tuberculosis and as a diuretic and styptic. Also said to be effective against earache, toothache and oral and vaginal thrush. Preparation and Dosage: Gargle with the fresh leaf juice. Apply the juice or leaf pulp onto skin. Take juice internally.

Medicinal Succulents Medicinal Succulents

Carpobrotus edulis

Glenn du Preez Tue May 2 2006

Please revise your medicinal properties of this genus - it is well known in South Africa (most species in the genus occur here) for its medicinal properties A valued Khoi-Khoi and San remedy adopted by most other ethnic groups in South Africa, preparations of the leaf juice are taken by mouth to check diarrhoea and to treat tuberculosis and applied externally to burn wounds, sores or to the oral mucosa to treat thrush and ulcers. A gargle/mouthwash is used for sore throat or gum infections.

CARPOBROTUS EDULIS FOLIA Carpobrotus Edulis Folia consists of the fresh or dried leaves of Carpobrotus edulis (L.) L. Bol. (Aizoaceae)

Carpobrotus edulis

Glenn du Preez Tue May 2 2006

Please revise your medicinal properties of this genus - it is well known in South Africa (most species in the genus occur here) for its medicinal properties The astringent juice of the leaves is considered antiseptic by some authorities. It reportedly has been used to treat cuts, eczema, insect bites, ringworm and sunburn, and taken with water, it has been used for diarrhea and sore throat.

Hottentot Fig (Carpobrotus edulis) info on a certain fig

Carpobrotus edulis

Teresa Wertsch Tue May 16 2006

Please warn about this plant. It is very invasive, blocking out native grasses and plants. It changes the alkalinity of the soil making it too "salty" for other plants to live in.

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