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--- name: Carob Tree slug: carob-tree type: perennial_organism status: running version: 4000.1.0 released: "~2000 BCE (Mediterranean basin)" maintainer: Ceratonia siliqua (self-managed) dependencies: - well-drained soil - full sun - low humidity - benign neglect license: Public Domain (pre-agriculture) tags: - tree - legume - drought-tolerant - mediterranean - chocolate-adjacent - ancient ---
A slow, patient Mediterranean legume that produces sweet pods, survives conditions that would kill more prestigious trees, and has been quietly impersonating chocolate for decades.
The carob runs on a remarkably lean stack. Deep tap roots locate water that other trees have long given up on. Nitrogen fixation via root symbionts means it feeds its own soil. The tree asks almost nothing from the environment and returns pods, shade, and a kind of smug longevity.
Flowering is wind-pollinated and somewhat chaotic. Trees can be male, female, or hermaphroditic, which the carob treats as a configuration option rather than a fixed attribute. Pods take a full year to mature after pollination. The carob is not in a hurry. It has never been in a hurry.
soil_pH: 6.2 to 8.5
water_needs: low
frost_tolerance: light only (< -7°C triggers failure)
spacing_recommended: 8 to 10 meters
pruning: minimal
companion_plants:
- olive
- fig
- lavender
sex_assignment: variable (see How it works)
| Version | Notes |
|---|---|
| ~2000 BCE | Initial deployment, eastern Mediterranean |
| ~500 BCE | Adopted by ancient Rome as livestock feed and trail food |
| ~1970s CE | Rebranded as health food; chocolate comparison introduced; regretted |
| ~2010s CE | Rediscovered by foragers, pastry experimenters, and people who read seed catalogs |
| Current | Quietly thriving. No patch needed. |
Is it actually like chocolate? No. It is sweet, earthy, and slightly smoky. It is like carob. Adjust expectations accordingly.
Why does my tree smell like that? See Known bugs.
Can I eat the pods directly? Yes. John the Baptist reportedly did. You can too.
How long will it live? Longer than you. Possibly longer than your institution.