Barbados Gooseberry
Pereskia aculeata
Species Info General
Family: Cactaceae
Barbados gooseberry is a cactus from the West Indies that is invading Hawaii. If left unchecked, it can form a dense canopy that quickly smothers out native vegetation under a solid blanket of vines.
Identification/Description
- Woody shrub when young, grows into climbing, leafy cactus, with branches are up to 11m (33 ft) long
- Fragrant flowers (can be lemon, sweet, or repulsive smelling) and round yellow-red berries
- Native to the West Indies and the northern coast of South America, introduced intentionally for horticulture (as an ornamental or for its fruit)
Impacts
- Forms dense, thorny thickets in low elevations, overgrows and replaces other plants
- Spread by birds and animals that eat the fruit
- Has become a major weed in South Africa where it is an escaped ornamental
In Hawaii
- Molokai – Present in Halawa Valley. MoMISC is working to eradicate this species.
- Oahu – Known from cultivation at experiment stations in Honolulu and Haleiwa. Not currently an OISC target. Landowners are asked to remove this pest and replace with a non-invasive alternate.
- Kauai, Lanai, Kahoolawe – Presence/absence unknown
