Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
South Africa
Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Tropical Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
710
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm1,370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Green, Yellow green, Brown
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
Egg-shaped
Oblong or Lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Put diluted fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
-
Allergy
Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
DILLENIA indica
Common Name
Buttonbush
Chulta, Elephant Apple
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Elephant Apple
In German
Button Strauch
Elefant von Apple
In French
buttonbush arbuste
Elephant d'Apple
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
El elefante de Apple
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
ελέφαντας της Apple
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Elefante da Apple
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Słoń Jabłko
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
Elephant Apple
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Dilleniales
Family
Bruniaceae
Dilleniaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Dillenia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
121
1
27800
👆🏻