Carob – Ceratonia siliqua

Plant family: Fabaceae

Plant origin: The Carob tree is native in the Mediterranean region.

Fruit description: The fruit is a bean, straight or curved. It takes 12 months to mature and eventually falls off the tree.

Flowers: Carob flowers occur in Autumn. They are small, numerous and green, they occur in sprays on old wood or on the trunk.

Growing conditions: This is a hardy tree. It is drought tolerant and frost tolerant, heat and humidity tolerant, even somewhat salt tolerant. You can't ask for more! The tree grows to 6 metres in height. It likes warm and temperature climates. The leaves are 100-200 mm long.

Uses: The pods (not the seeds) are eaten fresh, dried or roasted and ground for cooking or making into drinks. It is used as a sweetener. It has a slightly sweet, subtle chocolate-like flavour. The seeds can be used as animal fodder.

Medicinal uses: Carob extract can be used to treat sore throats and coughs and to treat diarrhoea in young children.

Pollination requirements: Separate Male and Female plants are required for pollination. The Carob tree is pollinated by insects and wind.

Harvest time When the pods fall on the ground they are ready to be used.

Plant relatives

Special features: The Carob tree can be grown as a dense hedge plant or as an ornamental tree

Grown by method: Seed Grown Pot size: 140mm

Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows to 2 metres high by 1.5 metres wide if Planted in a Pot. Grows 6 metres high by 4 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.

Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: 140mm