#15 - BARBADOS CHERRY (Malpighia punicifolia)
The Barbados cherry is a small tree or bushy shrub and can be found right outside the Mound House office. It is an attractive shrub with lavender flowers and bright red cherries in the summer. A natïve to the Lesser Antilles, it has become naturalized in Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. It is also commonly grown in dooryards throughout the Bahamas and Bermuda. The fruit has been found to have a high amount of ascorbic acid and is commonly eaten by people in the Caribbean to relieve cold symptoms. Most commonly ,they are picked regularly during the long fruiting season and enjoyed as a desert, preserved or even juiced. They are also a favorite of the birds, small mammals , staff and volunteers of Mound House
