Rewilding My Lot

I planted a Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) in 2023. I didn’t realize until I got it home that it was a dwarf variety, so it’s likely to grow in a shrubby form and only reach a height of 4 feet or so.

Every winter this plant has frozen back to ground level, but each spring it has grown back bigger and stronger than the year before. It tends to be late to show spring growth compared to other plants, and it also blooms late in the year. Despite having virtually no rain for weeks, in mid-September 2026 it’s blooming profusely and not showing any signs of drought stress. It’s currently 3.5 ft tall and 5 ft wide.

The flowers are small and delicate, so it attracts smaller insects.

Later on there will be small cherries. They are edible for humans but very tart and I leave most of them for birds.