Common names:

• carob  (Source: World Econ Pl) - English
• locust-bean  (Source: Pl Book) - English
• St. John's-bread  (Source: Hortus 3) - English
• caroube  (Source: Dict Rehm) - French
• caroubier  (Source: Dict Rehm) - French
• Johannisbrotbraum  (Source: Dict Rehm) - German
• alfarrobeira  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Portuguese
• algarrobo  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Spanish
• caroba  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Spanish
• johannesbröd  (Source: Kulturvaxtdatabas) - Swedish

Economic Importance:

• Food additives: flavoring (fide Ency CNatIn)
• Food additives: sweetener (fide Batlle & Tous 1997)
• Food additives: thickening agent (fide Batlle & Tous 1997)
• Environmental: ornamental (fide Batlle & Tous 1997)
• Environmental: shade/shelter (fide Batlle & Tous 1997)
• Human food: beverage base (seeds used as a substitute for coffee & chocolate fide Edible HC; Ency CNatIn)
• Animal food: fodder (fide Batlle & Tous 1997)
• Fuels: charcoal (fide Batlle & Tous 1997)
• Fuels: fuelwood (fide Batlle & Tous 1997)
• Materials: alcohol (carob bean gum for numerous uses fide Batlle & Tous 1997)
• Materials: gum/resin (carob bean gum for numerous uses fide Batlle & Tous 1997)
• Medicines: folklore (fide CRC MedHerbs ed2; Herbs Commerce ed2)

Distributional Range:

Native

Africa

• MACARONESIA: Spain [Canary Islands]
• NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria (n.), Libya (n.e.), Morocco, Tunisia

Asia-Temperate

• WESTERN ASIA: Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Syria (w.), Turkey

Europe

• SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Former Yugoslavia, Greece (incl. Crete), Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily)
• SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: France (incl. Corsica), Spain (incl. Baleares)


Cultivated (widely cult.)

Naturalized (widely natzd.)

Other (exact native range obscure)

References:

1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource on www.skud.info). 2012 (Kulturvaxtdatabas)
2. Batlle, I. & J. Tous 1997. Carob tree. Ceratonia siliqua L. (Prom Underused Crops) 17:1-92.
3. Davis, P. H., ed. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands. 1965-1988 (F Turk)
4. Hackett, C. & J. Carolane Edible Horticultural Crops. 1982 (Edible HC)
5. Izquierdo Z., I. et al., eds. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres. 2004 (L Canarias)
6. Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire Catalogue des plantes du Maroc. 1931-1941 (L Maroc)
7. Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2. 1996 (Ency CNatIn) 123.
8. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium Hortus third. 1976 (Hortus 3)
9. Mabberley, D. J. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2. 1997 (Pl Book)
10. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. 2000 (Herbs Commerce ed2)
11. Meikle, R. D. Flora of Cyprus. 1977-1985 (F Cyprus)
12. Mouterde, P. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie. 1966- (F Liban)
13. Pottier-Alapetite, G. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones. 1979-1981 (F Tunis)
14. Quézel, P. & S. Santa Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie. 1962-1963 (F Alger)
15. Rehm, S. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. 1994 (Dict Rehm)
16. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. Flora europaea. 1964-1980 (F Eur)
17. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan Flora palaestina. 1966- (F Palest)

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN-Taxonomy).
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://germoplasma.iniaf.gob.bo/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=9918. Accessed 7 junio 2026.