Carob

Ceratonia siliqua

Long-lived Mediterranean tree producing leathery dark pods used as a chocolate substitute and as livestock feed. Drought-tolerant; nitrogen-fixing roots.

Hardiness ratings

Carob hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 9–11 −6.7 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H3 −5 °C to 1 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 9 −1 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 5–7 5 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Dioecious — a male tree must be present nearby for pods to form on females
  • Long-lived (often 100+ years); seeds (carats) historically used as the standard goldsmith's weight

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Carob against your zones

Reference

Carob on Wikipedia