natal plum
- noun
- South African
:
ciruela natal
- The natal plum is often grown as an ornamental hedge in warm climates.
Examples
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The natal plum produces fragrant white flowers before setting its characteristic fruit.
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Gardeners favor the natal plum for its glossy leaves and vibrant red fruit, making it a popular choice for hedging.
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She tasted the sweet, red fruit of the natal plum for the first time on her trip to South Africa.
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The natal plum produces bright red fruit in the summer.
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Have you ever tasted a natal plum?
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During her visit to South Africa, she enjoyed the sweet flavor of the natal plum fresh from the tree.
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The natal plum thrives in warm climates, producing delicious fruit and lovely flowers throughout the year.
Synonyms
A large South African bush with glossy leaves, sharp spines, and edible fruit
A South African bush with sharp forked branches and fruit like small plums often planted as a fence
A large thorny bush from South Africa with many branches and shiny leaves
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although 'plum' signals a fruit, the modifier 'natal' in this MWE is a toponym (from Natal, South Africa) rather than the common adjective meaning 'pertaining to birth', so the overall meaning (a specific South African shrub/fruit) cannot be derived from the literal senses of the parts. A B1 learner who knows only the constituent words would likely misinterpret it (e.g. as a fruit related to birth) and would not recover the correct botanical/place-based sense without prior exposure.
Etymology
Natal plum may get its name from the Natal region of South Africa where the shrub grows. People called it a plum because its bright red, round fruit looks like a small plum, so natal plum today means 'a large evergreen shrub with shiny leaves and edible red fruit'.
