Carob, St. john's bread
Ceratonia siliqua
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Green. Form: Rounded, Vase.
Ceratonia siliqua is an evergreen Tree growing to 15 m (49ft 3in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from August to October. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by wasps and flies. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 15
Where it is found
Rocky places near the sea shore.
S. Europe.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Seedpods - raw or ground into a powder. The seedpods are filled with a saccharine pulp and can be eaten both green or dried. They are very sweet but fibrous, the pulp can be used as a chocolate substitute in cakes, drinks etc. It is rich in sugars and protein. The pods contain about 55% sugars, 10% protein and 6% fat. Seed - rich in protein. A flour is made from them which is 60% protein, it is free from sugar and starch and is suitable for baking. It can be used as a chocolate substitute. An edible gum is extracted from the seed, a substitute for Gum Tragacanth (see Astragalus species). A stabilizer and thickening agent, it is also used as an egg substitute. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Seedpod: things such as Okra, French and Runner beans.
Chocolate: substitutes for chocolate, that is.
Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.
Egg: Substitutes for eggs.
Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The pulp in the seedpods of carob is very nutritious and, due to its high sugar content, sweet-tasting and mildly laxative. However, the pulp in the pods is also astringent and, used in a decoction, will treat diarrhoea and gently help to cleanse and also relieve irritation within the gut. Whilst these appear to be contradictory effects, carob is an example of how the body responds to herbal medicines in different ways, according to how the herb is prepared and according to the specific medical problem. The seedpods are also used in the treatment of coughs. A flour made from the ripe seedpods is demulcent and emollient. It is used in the treatment of diarrhoea. The seed husks are astringent and purgative. The bark is strongly astringent. A decoction is used in the treatment of diarrhoea.
Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.
Antiemetic: Prevents vomiting.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Demulcent: Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.
Emollient: Softens the skin, causing warmth and moisture.
Purgative: A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.
Other
Rating: 2
A flour made from the seedpods is used in the cosmetic industry to make face-packs. Tannin is obtained from the bark. Wood - hard, lustrous. Highly valued by turners, it is also used for marquetry and walking sticks.
Cosmetic: Used to improve the physical appearence of a person.
Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.
Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Agroforestry Services: Windbreak: Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.
Fodder: Pod: Fodder plants with pods.
Industrial Crop: Gum: Used as thickeners and gelling agents. Non-destructively harvested gums come from tapped trees and seed.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Other Systems: Irreg. Intercrop: Irregular intercropping systems are trees scattered throughout cropland.
Staple Crop: Balanced carb: (0-15 percent protein, 0-15 percent oil, with at least one over 5 percent). The carbohydrates are from either starch or sugar. Annuals include maize, wheat, rice, and potato. Perennials include chestnuts, carob, perennial fruits, nuts, cereals, pseudocereals, woody pods, and acorns.
Staple Crop: Sugar: Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.
Agroforestry Services: Windbreak: Linear plantings of trees and shrubs designed to enhance crop production, protect people and livestock and benefit soil and water conservation.
Fodder: Pod: Fodder plants with pods.
Industrial Crop: Gum: Used as thickeners and gelling agents. Non-destructively harvested gums come from tapped trees and seed.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Other Systems: Irreg. Intercrop: Irregular intercropping systems are trees scattered throughout cropland.
Staple Crop: Balanced carb: (0-15 percent protein, 0-15 percent oil, with at least one over 5 percent). The carbohydrates are from either starch or sugar. Annuals include maize, wheat, rice, and potato. Perennials include chestnuts, carob, perennial fruits, nuts, cereals, pseudocereals, woody pods, and acorns.
Staple Crop: Sugar: Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Aggressive surface roots possible. Requires a very sunny position in any well-drained moderately fertile soil. Does well in calcareous, gravelly or rocky soils. Tolerates salt laden air. Tolerates a pH in the range 6.2 to 8.6. The tree is very drought resistant, thriving even under arid conditions, the roots penetrating deep into the soil to find moisture. This species is not very hardy in Britain but it succeeds outdoors in favoured areas of S. Cornwall, tolerating temperatures down to about -5°c when in a suitable position. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun. The carob is frequently cultivated in warm temperate zones for its edible seed and seed pods. Mature trees in a suitable environment can yield up to 400 kilos of seedpods annually. There are named varieties with thicker pods. Seeds are unlikely to be produced in Britain since the tree is so near (if not beyond) the limits of its cultivation. The seed is very uniform in size and weight, it was the original 'carat' weight of jewellers. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. Special Features:Edible, Not North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water prior to sowing. If the seed has not swollen then give it another soaking in warm water until it does swell up. Sow in a greenhouse in April. Germination should take place within 2 months. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual deep pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give them some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy; Secondary; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 9-11
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist