Pereskia aculeata
Syn. Pereskia cactus, Pereskia pereskia

English names: Gooseberry of Barbados, fig of Barbados
Creole names: Gwozey peyi, gwozey barbad
English names: Barbados gooseberry, west indies gooseberry, gooseberry shrub, lemon vine, blade apple, leafy cactus, surinam goosberry, white bougainvillea.
Spanish names: Hortensia de bejuco, uña espinosa, bledo, bugambilia blanca, camelia blanca, grosellero, guamacho, jasmin de uvas, jumbeba, mata velha, naca, naju de espinas, rosa-madeira, rosa mole
Other names: Groselha-da-América, tsumya, ora-pro-nóbis, carne de pobre

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FAMILY

CACTACEAE

ETYMOLOGY

Pereskia comes from Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (1580–1637), philologist, man of science, botanist and archaeologist, he owned one of the richest cabinets of curiosities in Europe.
Aculeata comes from Latin and means prickly, prickly, in relation to its thorns.

ORIGIN

West Indies.

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HABITAT

Xerophilic areas.

DESCRIPTION

Leafy, creeping cactus liana that can reach 10m. Its trunk is covered with short, curved spines.
Its leaves are succulent and green.
Its flowers are white and numerous.
Its fruits are round (1-2cm in diameter), orange and have the flavor of European gooseberry.
Seeds are small, black, round and flat.  

NEEDS

It can tolerate drought, but appreciates regular watering , except in winter.
It supports any type of soil , but prefers light soil.
Exposure: Bright see full sun.
Hardiness: 5°C.
Flowering: All year round.
Fruiting: All year round.

MULTIPLICATION

Seedlings, cuttings (easy) 
- Sowing is done in spring, from 19°C.
- Cuttings are done from June to the end of September.

CULTURE

It is an easy plant to grow and very undemanding, however, it tends to climb. If you want to turn it into a bush, it is possible, it supports pruning well.

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MAINTENANCE
- Prune after each bloom if you want more flowers, prune after fruiting if you want fruit.
- Watch out for scale insects and aphids, especially during the flowering period.

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USES
 

MEDICINAL USE
No medicinal use recognized in France.  

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ORNAMENTAL USE

In climbing plant or bush, its flowering will amaze more than one.

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FOOD USE

The fruits are eaten raw, in juice, pies or jelly.
As its name suggests in Brazilian (carne de pobre), the leaves have a high protein content (17-25%), of which 85% is assimilable and vitamins A, B and C, calcium, iron, lysine , magnesium and phosphorus.
They can be eaten in salads, soups, cooked vegetables, in pasta, rice...

OTHER USES

Its flowers are considered to be of great interest for beekeeping.
Planted in hedges, it deters thieves and large animals.

ANECDOTES

Warning, invasive plant.
Its genus includes only 16 species.

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SOURCES

• Illustrated flora of the phanerogams of Guadeloupe and Martinique - T1 P233 - CIRAD - Gondwana editions
• The name of plants 4th Ed - David Gledhill - Cambridge
• Plants, habitats and landscapes of the French West Indies - Ed. Panthenope collection, C. Sastre and A. Breuil
• The great Larousse of 15,000 garden plants & flowers - Ed Larousse
• https://www.connaissancedesarts.com/arts-expositions/renaissance/nicolas-claude-fabri-de-peiresc-gentilhomme-et-prince-des-curieux-11143122/
• https://www.cactuspro.com/encyclo/Pereskia/aculeata