Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)
Regular price $49.95Sweet, Chocolate-Like Pods Without Caffeine
Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), also known as St. John’s Bread, is a long-lived evergreen tree in the Fabaceae family, related to Butterfly Pea and Lablab Bean. Native to the Middle East, this striking tree develops a feathery canopy of deep green, leathery leaves atop a trunk with twisted, reddish-brown bark. Because the leaves are slow to burn, Carob is also grown by many as a natural fire barrier.
Red, single-sex flower clusters develop in autumn, attracting bees and flies with their musky fragrance. Carob trees are dioecious, meaning a second tree of the opposite sex is required for pollination and pod production. Once pollinated, the flowers develop into glossy brown, tough-fibered pods containing seeds that rattle when ripe.
Cultural & Culinary Significance
Carob's primary use is culinary, where its naturally sweet, bean-like pulp provides a flavorful alternative to cacao. The pods can be eaten out of hand or dried and ground into a powder for cooking and baking. Carob has similar flavor properties to chocolate while naturally lacking the theobromine found in cacao, making it a popular chocolate substitute for those who wish to avoid the compound.
Why Grow Carob?
- Grow a long-lived evergreen tree with a distinctive feathery canopy and twisted reddish-brown bark.
- Enjoy sweet, bean-like pods with chocolate-like flavor that can be eaten fresh or dried into powder.
- Harvest glossy brown pods with tough fibers and seeds that rattle when they are fully ripe.
- Add a useful landscape tree whose slow-burning leaves can serve as a natural fire barrier.
- Support pollinators with fragrant autumn flower clusters that attract bees and flies.
Growing Tips
Plant Carob in full sun and provide dry, well-draining, rocky soil. This slow-growing evergreen fruit tree is naturally drought resistant and well adapted to Mediterranean and subtropical conditions. Carob can reach up to 55 ft. tall at maturity, so give it plenty of room to develop. Carob is not self-fertile because individual trees produce either male or female flowers, so you will need two or more trees of opposite sex for pollination and fruit production. Red, single-sex flower clusters appear in autumn and attract bees and flies with their musky fragrance before developing into glossy brown, tough-fibered pods. The pods mature in fall, and their seeds rattle when ripe. Carob is propagated from seed and can be grown outdoors in Zones 9–11 with frost protection or in a patio container or greenhouse in Zone 4+.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Ceratonia siliqua |
| Common Names | Carob, St. John’s Bread |
| Family | Fabaceae |
| Native to | Middle East, Subtropics of Mediterranean |
| Traditional Uses | Culinary, fodder for sheep, windbreaker and fire barrier, medicine, distilled into a liqueur |
| Plant Type | Evergreen Fruiting Tree |
| Life Cycle | Perennial |
| Harvest Season | Fall |
| Mature Size | 55 ft. tall |
| Soil & Moisture | Dry, well-draining, rocky soil; drought resistant |
| Light Requirements | Full Sun |
| Self-Fertile | No. Individual trees have male or female flowers and need 2+ trees for pollination and fruit production |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Zone Hardiness | Outdoors 9–11 with frost protection; Patio/Greenhouse 4+ |
| Propagation | Seed |
| Flower Color | Red |
| Bloom Time | Autumn |
| Flower Type | Single-sex flower clusters |
| Fruit | Glossy brown, tough-fibered pods |
| Seeds | Hard seeds that rattle when ripe |
| Fruit Flavor | Sweet, bean-like, chocolate-like |
| Culinary Uses | Fresh eating, dried powder, chocolate substitute, liqueur |
| Landscape Uses | Windbreaker and fire barrier |
| Special Features | Long-lived, evergreen, drought resistant, slow-growing |
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