Grewia tenax
| Grewia tenax | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific name | Grewia tenax [1] |
| Common names | Small-leaved crossberry; phalsa cherry; white crossberry; raisin bush; gangara; gangu; kanger [2][3] |
| Genus | Grewia |
| Family | Malvaceae |
| Order | Malvales |
| Native range | Sahara to Tanzania, with records in parts of southern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian subcontinent. [3] |
| Fruit | Ripe fruit is reported as edible and used fresh, dried, or powdered into drinks. [3] |
| Growth form | Slow-growing deciduous shrub[4] |
| Propagation | Seed; remove adhering fruit flesh before sowing[4] |
Grewia tenax is an accepted species in the family Malvaceae with regionally varied common names. Ripe fruit is reported as edible and locally used fresh, dried, or in drinks. [1][3]
Description
Grewia tenax is a deciduous shrub of drier African and Asian environments. Growth is usually slow, but young plants can grow faster under favorable conditions. Its habitats include woodland, lava rocks, sandy and lateritic ground, clay-sand depressions and gullies.[4]
Cultivation
Soil and water
The species occupies rocky, sandy and clay sites, including depressions that become moist during the rainy season. Established plants are strongly drought-resistant. Habitat-based cultivation inference: allow for establishment irrigation and seasonal wetting rather than treating drought tolerance as a requirement for constant dryness.[4]
Sun and humidity
Native habitats include woodland as well as rocky and sandy open sites. Habitat-based cultivation inference: a bright growing site is a reasonable starting point, but exposure should reflect the plant’s provenance and establishment stage rather than a fixed humidity target.[4]
Seasonal changes
The natural environment includes very dry sites and soils that become moist in the rainy season. Habitat-based cultivation inference: support active growth when moisture is available and let irrigation respond to seasonal conditions, without imposing an unverified calendar for flowering or dormancy.[4]
Propagation
Seed germination can be difficult when fruit flesh remains attached. Repeated washing and scrubbing to remove the flesh has produced germination above 75%, with emergence after about 10 days in the reported treatment. These are treatment results, not a guaranteed percentage or timetable for every seed lot.[4]
Flowering, fruiting, and harvest
Ripe fruits are orange-red and acid-flavored. They may be eaten fresh or dried for later use.[4]
Fruit and uses
The orange-red fruit is eaten fresh or dried. It is also used in grain-based foods, including fermented porridge.[4]
References
- ↑ [4] Ken Fern, Useful Tropical Plants: Grewia tenax. Accessed 2026-09-20.
Image credits
- Grewia tenax Bild0687.jpg — flower of Grewia tenax in Oudalan province, Burkina Faso; creator Marco Schmidt; CC BY-SA 2.5. Wikimedia Commons file page. Attribution: Marco Schmidt.
