Plant Care Guides / Outdoor & Coastal / Medium shrubs
Indigenous | Easy Care | Medium shrubs
The num-num is a dense, spiny, evergreen shrub with glossy dark green leaves, fragrant white star-shaped flowers and edible red to purple-black fruit that tastes a bit like cranberries and makes excellent jam.
The 'Storm' variety of Carissa bispinosa is compact and particularly well suited to hedging. The macrocarpa form has larger fruit and is sometimes sold as 'Green Carpet' in its groundcover form. Both are coastal-tough, handling wind, salt spray, sandy soil and drought without complaint. The thorns make it an excellent security hedge, but also mean you should wear gloves when pruning. It is one of the few indigenous plants that doubles as a practical barrier and an ornamental.
1 to 2.5 m depending on variety. 'Green Carpet' stays much lower as a groundcover.
Moderate.
Security hedge, screen, boundary, edible landscape, container, coastal garden. The thorns make it an effective barrier.
Full sun to semi-shade. Flowers and fruits best in sun.
Any well-drained soil, including sandy, alkaline coastal conditions. Tolerates poor soil.
Drought-tolerant once established. Water while settling in.
A light feed in spring is enough. Not demanding.
Clips well into a formal or informal hedge. Prune to shape as needed, wearing thick gloves to handle the thorns.
Ask about availability. WhatsApp us to check what is currently in stock, or visit the nursery and we will help you choose the right plant for your spot.
