The fruit first caught my attention because it looked faintly like a small apple.
It was growing in Richards Bay among thick green leaves and formidable forked thorns.
Observed
A rounded fruit, predominantly pale green-yellow with red colouring developing over part of its surface.
The surrounding plant had glossy green leaves and conspicuous thorns.
Identification
Probable: Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa).
The visible characteristics are consistent with the species, but this record retains the identification as probable rather than converting a photographic observation into certainty.
Edibility
The ripe fruit of Natal plum is eaten. A field record of an apparently edible wild plant should not, however, be treated as an identification guide.
Appearance
The immature or partly ripening fruit is particularly interesting because its colouring gives it an almost apple-like appearance.
Against the thorns and heavy coastal foliage, it is an unexpectedly domestic-looking little fruit.
Record
Date: 13 July 2026
Place: Richards Bay, Zululand
Status: OBSERVED
Identification: PROBABLE