This plant is “apple” in name only. The species is Dovyalis caffra from the willow family in southern Africa. The word “Kei” is likely from its native presence in the Kei River Valley. The plant is dioecious and thus to start it from seed you must wait until the seedlings bloom and then select male and female individuals. It has large hardwood thorns and a long history of use as a protective barricade from large wild animals. Consequently, if you wish to harvest the fruit and retain flesh on your hands and arms it is advisable to espalier the plants. The taste of the fruit is worth it. At maturity the fruits are about 1-1.5 inches in diameter and packed with so much flavor it is difficult to describe. I usually get a meager crop in the Spring, a robust crop in the summer, and sometimes an additional crop in the late Fall. Interestingly enough, over time the thorns sprout leaves and become branches - with new thorns of course!
Here’s a cluster of fruits among others that I hope ripen soon
Some male flowers are starting to emerge so perhaps the beginning of a summer crop is on its way too.
Awesome pics Richard. Is this related to trifoliate orange? I grew them once and although they never had time to fruit before I moved, they looked very similar in appearance.
Oh…nevermind, I see you mentioned they are in the willow family. Gosh, they sure have a “citrusy” look.
That fruit looks like it would be tasty. Is it firm or squishy (scientific term)? Looks very juicy…is it? Does it taste similar to anything we would be familiar with?
Today I spent an hour tending to my Kei Apple espalier – tying up new lateral growth along the trellis and removing about 40 gallons worth of unwanted branches.
