Carissa bispinosa (L.) Desf. ex Brenan
forest num-num · bosnoemnoem (Afr.)
Thorny evergreen num-num with glossy leaves, scented white starry flowers and red fruit; good barrier hedge.
What’s in the name: Carissa: from a local Indian name for a related plant; bispinosa: "two spines".
“As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.”
— Song of Solomon 2:2 (KJV), The King James Version of the Bible (Project Gutenberg)
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Apocynaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants
Natural distribution & habitat
Wooded areas from the south-western Cape along the coast through the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal into Gauteng and the north; also eastern Free State, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia, sporadically to Kenya.
Size & form
Usually a dense bush or scrambling shrub; occasionally a small tree to 5 m. Armed with forked thorns (hence the name bispinosa, meaning "two spines").
Flowering
Spring to late summer.
Uses in landscaping
- Impenetrable hedge – space plants about 1 m apart
- Informal shrub border
- Coastal gardens or mild inland gardens
Care notes
Light, well-drained soil with lots of compost. Prune lightly to shape. Easy from seed. Takes moderate frost but grows slowly where winters are cold.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Carissa bispinosa'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Carissa bispinosa (L.) Desf. ex Brenan (assessment 2023/08/11).