Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)
Carob, or St. John’s Bread, is a long-lived evergreen of the Fabaceae family, related to Butterfly Pea and Lablab Bean. The Middle-East native plant grows a feathery canopy of deep green, leathery leaves atop a trunk of twisted, reddish-brown bark. Because their leaves are slow to burn, many grow Carob as a fire barrier.
Red, single-sex flower clusters develop in autumn, attracting bees and flies with their musky fragrance. To pollinate, the Carob requires a second tree of the opposite sex to produce pods. These pods will mature into glossy brown, tough-fibered pods with seeds that rattle when ripe!
Their main use is culinary. Need a chocolate substitute? Try out Carob’s sweet, bean-like pulp with similar flavor properties to cacao, minus the migraine-inducing theobromine. Eat it out of hand or dry it into a powder!
Common Names:
Carob, St. John’s Bread,
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
Harvest Season:
Fall
Mature Size:
55 ft. tall
Soil & Moisture:
Dry, well-draining, rocky soil. Drought resistant.
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Self-Fertile:
No. You have male or female flowers and need 2+ trees
Growth Rate:
Slow
Zone Hardiness:
Outdoors 9-11 with frost protection; Patio/Greenhouse 4+
Propagation:
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