What Are Carobs: Learn About Carob Tree Care, What Are Carobs Used For And How Long Does A Carob Tree Live?

When given the right growing conditions, carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua), though little known to most people, have a lot to offer the home landscape. This ancient tree serves several purposes and has an intriguing past. For more details on carob trees, continue reading.

Carobs: What Are They?

How can I love you, chocolate? Allow me to tally the calories and the ways. Chocolate addictions, like mine, which are almost entirely fat, cry out for a cure. Carob is the exact answer. Chocolate can be easily replaced with carob, which is rich in sucrose and protein (eight percent), contains vitamins A and B along with several minerals, and has about one-third the calories of chocolate without any fat (yep, fat free!). What then are carobs? It is possible to find carob growing in its natural habitat in the eastern Mediterranean, most likely in the Middle East, where it has been farmed for more than 4,000 years.

The Bible makes reference to carob growing, which the ancient Greeks were also aware of. Because of the hanging pods or legumes of the plant, which were symbolic of the “locusts” that John the Baptist ate, the carob tree is also referred to in the Bible as St. John’s bean or locust bean. According to information on carob trees, they are evergreen trees that grow to a height of 50 to 55 feet (15–17 meters) and have pinnate leaves in pairs of two to six oval shapes. They belong to the Fabaceae or Legume family.

Extra Details Regarding Carob Trees

Originating from its sweet and nourishing fruits, carob seeds were originally used to weigh gold, which is how the word “carat” came to be. The British introduced carob trees to South Africa, India, and Australia, and the Spanish brought carob growing to Mexico and South America. Robusta trees were brought to the United States in 1854 and are now common in California, where the warm, dry climate is perfect for carob cultivation. Rob grows well anywhere citrus grows, but it thrives in climates similar to the Mediterranean. It is grown for its fruit, or pod, which is most commonly used for replacing cocoa beans when ground into flour.

The long, flat, brown carob pods, which range in length from 4 to 12 inches (10 to 31 cm), also contain a polysaccharide gum that is used in a variety of products and has no taste, smell, or color. Carob pods can also be fed to livestock, and the husks of the pods have long been used medicinally by humans, for example, as a throat balm or as a lozenge to ease hoarseness.

Growing Carob Trees

Direct seeding is most likely the most popular way to cultivate carob trees. While dried seeds must first be scarred and then soaked for a while until they swell two or three times their original size, fresh seeds germinate quickly. Though carob trees are typically planted in flats and transplanted once the seedlings reach a second set of leaves, germination rates for carob trees are only approximately 25% guaranteed. In the garden, carob should be spaced nine inches (23 cm) apart. It might be wiser for the home gardener to buy an established 1-gallon (4 L) carob tree start from a nursery.

Remember that your garden needs to be very similar to the Mediterranean, or grow carob indoors in a greenhouse or container that can be moved to a protected spot. USDA zones 9 through 11 are suitable for growing carob trees. Carob trees grow slowly at first, but they start to bear fruit in the sixth year after planting, and they can continue to produce for 80 to 100 years, so be patient.

Carob Tree Maintenance

Establishing a carob tree in a landscape area with full sun and well-drained soil is essential for proper care. Although carob can tolerate alkalinity and drought, it cannot tolerate acidic soil or excessively wet conditions. Depending on your climate, water the carob sparingly or not at all. Although scale may be a problem, once established, carob trees are robust and resilient, susceptible to few diseases or pests. A severe infestation of these immobile, armored insects can result in yellowing, abnormally shaped leaves, dripping bark, and overall carob tree stunting. Remove any affected areas that have scale. Horticultural oil can be used as a treatment for certain other insects that may also affect carob, like parasitic wasps and predatory lady beetles.

The main hazard to carob trees is actually their distaste for excessively wet and soggy soil, which causes the trees to become stunted and unable to absorb nutrients, which results in yellowing and leaf drop. An established plant usually doesn’t require fertilization, but if the tree is experiencing these issues, a fertilizer dose and reduced irrigation are both recommended.