Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants, Herbs
Shrub
Origin
-
Southern Africa
Types
-
Carissa Carandas
Number of Varieties
24
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
moist forests, Mountains
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-2
12-9
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
38.10 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Pink, Lavender
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Oval to roundish
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
cut main trunk every 5 years, Prune after flowering, Prune central stem, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 5-10-5 amounts, Compost
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Red blotch, Trunk Rot
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Leaf Hoppers
Birds
Allergy
Itchiness, Sore Throat
Mildly Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Good Cleanser, Remove blemishes, Removes pimples
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cough, Haemorrhages, Laxative, Obesity, Tonic
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Added to salads, Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Culinary use
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
Averrhoa bilimbi
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Bilimbi, Mimbro
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
Bilimbi
नेटाल बेर
In German
bilimbi
Natal Plum
In French
bilimbi
natal Plum
In Spanish
bilimbi
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
bilimbi
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
bilimbi
Natal Plum
In Polish
bilimbi
Natal Plum
In Latin
Rondo Beardtongue
Natal Plum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Gentianales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Averrhoa
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Carisseae
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
1220
1
27800
👆🏻