Ceratonia siliqua - Carob

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) is an evergreen Mediterranean tree grown for its sweet, edible seedpods, used as a chocolate substitute, flour, and livestock fodder. Unlike most legumes, it does not reliably fix nitrogen, since it belongs to the subfamily Caesalpinioideae, where root-nodule symbiosis with rhizobia is rare and has not been confirmed in field-grown trees.¹ It tolerates drought and poor rocky soil, and is long-lived once established.

Inputs

• Hardiness zone 9²
• Hardiness zone 10²
• Hardiness zone 11²

Outputs

• Human food²
• Fodder²

Type

• Tree
• Evergreen

Functions

• Drought-tolerance²
• Attracting bees²
• Wildlife habitat²
• Windbreak²
• Fire resistance³⁴

Footnotes

1. Carob, Wikipedia ↩

2. Ceratonia siliqua | Plants for a Future ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

3. Non-native, Non-invasive and Fire Resistant Landscaping Plants for Around Homes, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Santa Cruz County, California, 2008 ↩

4. Fuel Modification Plant Selection Guidelines, Los Angeles County Fire Department, listed as Ceratonia siliqua — Carob, Zone B ↩