Carissa Carandas, Edible Fruit Karonda Climbing Medicinal Shrub

Here is a quick view of the Carissa carandas plant.
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Carissa carandas
Also known as: Bengal Currant, Christ's Thorn, Carandas Plum, Karonda, and Karanda

Here is a perennial, evergreen, woody shrub to a small tree, with a climbing vine habit. Left untended, it will climb up structures and to the top of trees up to 12 m (40 ft) tall. In cultivation, it is usually trimmed into a hedge or small shrub under 4 m (13 ft). The branches are many and wide-spreading, forming a thick, thorny dense canopy. Originating in India and Sri Lanka but now introduced and common in other warm climate countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, the southern United States, the Caribbean and parts of eastern Africa. It belongs in the Apocynaceae family.

The flowers are small and tubular with five white petals, occasionally pink-tinged. They are borne in rounded clusters and bloom throughout the year in tropical regions, peaking from spring through autumn. Pollination is by insects and moths, attracted to the flowers sweet fragrance, which is strongest at night.

It produces berry-sized fruits in clusters of up to ten. Like the flowers, they are borne throughout the year in tropical regions. They have smooth, thin, yellowish skin with a pinkish blush when young, becoming red then dark purple to near black when ripe. They taste sour when mature but sourish sweet when fully ripened. They are eaten raw and can be made into jam, jellies, spices, puddings, syrups, and pies. They are rich in iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, and have anti-inflammatory properties.

The fruit is also used in ancient Indian herbal medicine, Ayurvedic, to treat acidity, indigestion, fresh and infected wounds, skin diseases, urinary disorders and diabetic ulcers, as well as biliousness, stomach pain, constipation, anemia, skin conditions, anorexia and insanity. Leaf decoction is used to treat fever, diarrhea, and earaches. The roots serve as a stomachic, an anthelmintic medicine for itches and also as insect repellents.

Performs best in free-draining clay-loam, loam, sandy-loam and loamy-sand soils of a moderately acid to alkaline nature, generally with a pH of 5.0 to 8.5, and on sites with full sun exposure. Will also tolerate limestone soils. it grows naturally in dry to humid subtropical and tropical climates, generally in frost-free areas. USDA zone 9b+