Kei Apple

Dovyalis caffra
MOTLHONO
UMQOKOLO

A southern African evergreen shrub or small tree. It is widely cultivated as a hedge and for its edible yellowish-orange fruit, which is high in Vitamin C.

The Kei-apple grows in a range of environments from valley bushveld and dry areas to wooded grassland or forest edges. It is found in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal to Swaziland, into Limpopo and Zimbabwe.
The Kei apple is a thorny drought- and frost-resistant shrub or tree. The creamy green flowers form in early summer, and the yellow-orange fruits are about 60 mm in diameter.
The delicious fruit attracts many birds and animals including louries (turacos), mousebirds, black-eyed bulbuls, monkeys, baboons and antelope. It makes outstanding jam and is an income source for rural communities. The leaves can be used as fodder for livestock.
It grows into a thick bush and can be used as a screen for privacy and safety.