A FRUITY SECURITY SCREEN
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Dovyalis caffra
FAMILY: Salicaceae (formerly Flacourtiaceae)
DOVYALIS, commonly known as Kei Apple, or Umkokolo as it is known in its native South Africa, is one of the spiniest shrubs I know - young plants in pots have 1-cm-long thorns.
These thorns develop into 3-5cm-long lances when the shrub is planted out in the garden and is actively growing. They make an impenetrable hedge - a fact well recognised in the troubled urban areas in South Africa and Rhodesia.
Such hedges have their uses here in keeping unwanted visitors (two-legged as well as four) out of the garden. They are particularly useful if you have bearing fruit trees visible from the road.
The fruits are borne in profusion and are bright golden-yellow when mature. Shaped like an apple, they are smaller, with a diameter of 3-5cm. The aromatic juicy yellow flesh has an apricot-like flavour and is sweet-acid. Dovyalis has a velvet-smooth skin and makes a good-looking addition to a bowl of fresh fruit. Eat it fresh or make a distinctive-flavoured jam or preserves. A delightful jelly is made from immature fruits.
Yellow flowers in early summer precede the fruits by two to three months. Pick the fruits when they are a rich golden-yellow colour. A pair of long-handled tongs makes harvesting the crop painless.
Male and female plants are needed to maximise productivity. However, most female plants will produce some fruit without a pollinating partner. As it is not possible to sex your Dovyalis before it bears, you should plant three to ensure a crop. This is another good reason to look at growing it as a hedge.
Without pruning, Dovyalis can grow to five or six metres high with a three-metre spread. However, pruning is beneficial, increases the crop and makes a compact shrub of one to two metres high. It is evergreen with glossy-green foliage and looks good in the garden.
Coming from South Africa, the plant's climatic requirement is easily met in most areas of WA. It is cold hardy down to minus 3°C and is very tolerant of poor or sandy soils and drought. Needless to say, its productivity is improved dramatically in well-irrigated rich soils.
Grow Dovyalis in full sun. This tough shrub can withstand coastal conditions just back from the beach front, but flooding can be disastrous. It does not suffer much from insect and disease pests, but the fruit's juice stains clothes.
A fairly slow grower, it makes good sense to plant it away from paths, particularly the edge of your lawn if there are children about.
Dovyalis is an interesting addition to home orchards, with its attractive appearance and appealing fruits.
DATE: November 1987
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