The Elusive Acerola Cherry: A Deep Dive
They say patience is a virtue, but how long does it take to grow an Acerola cherry?
The answer isn’t as simple as you might think- this tropical fruit is notoriously difficult to cultivate.
Firstly, let’s talk about the tree itself. Native to South America and the Caribbean, the Acerola cherry tree requires high humidity levels and temperatures of around 70°F to thrive.
It takes around three years for a newly-planted sapling to bear any fruit at all- that’s quite a wait! But don’t get too excited just yet: these first fruits will likely be small and sour, not quite up to snuff when it comes to flavor.
But if you can hold out for another year or two after that initial harvest, your patience may be rewarded with larger, sweeter cherries.
So how long does it take in total? On average, you’re looking at four or five years before your Acerola cherry tree reaches peak maturity and starts producing large quantities of delicious fruit.
Of course there are plenty of factors that can influence growth speed – soil quality, climate conditions…not forgetting the pesky insects and pests who love nothing more than chowing down on delicate young trees!
In short- growing an Acerola cherry tree may require some serious dedication (and maybe a bit of luck), but those juicy red fruits are well worth the effort in our opinion.
