Bisexual Carob Tree

The Bisexual Carob Tree brings an unusually practical advantage to the home orchard: one tree can produce both flowers and richly flavoured pods.

Ceratonia siliqua L. grows as an evergreen Mediterranean tree. In fact, people often call it the Bisexual Carob Tree, Carob Tree, Locust Bean Tree, St John’s Bread, or Algarroba. Unlike male or female carob trees, however, this form bears bisexual flowers with both male and female parts. Therefore, the tree sets fruit without needing a pollinating partner, so gardeners can plant just one tree where space is limited.

The tree grows a broad, dense crown with glossy, leathery leaflets. Once established, it tolerates heat, drought, poor soil, and coastal conditions. However, good drainage remains essential. Meanwhile, its long pods change from green to dark brown as they ripen.

For thousands of years, farmers have grown carob around the Mediterranean and Middle East. Similarly, jewelers used its uniform seeds in the carat system to measure precious stones. Meanwhile, people have eaten the pods as a food for centuries. The name St John’s Bread, for example, refers to the tradition that John the Baptist ate carob pods, not insects.

Carob’s naturally sweet pulp offers a caffeine-free alternative to cocoa. For example, you can dry and grind mature pods into powder, make syrup, add them to baked goods, or use them as animal fodder. Additionally, the seeds provide locust bean gum, a natural thickener.

Plant your tree in full sun and well-draining soil, with plenty of room for its spreading canopy. In the early years, water young plants often while they establish. Later, mature trees show impressive resilience. Consequently, be patient with fruiting; production improves as the tree grows larger. Finally, pair it with Pomegranate ‘Wonderful’ or Tamarind to create a productive collection of historic, heat-loving trees with fascinating culinary stories.