Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, China
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Tropical Fruit Tree
-
Number of Varieties
1020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Spreading
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,370.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Yellow, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Yellow green, Brown
Yellow
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong or Lanceolate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Divison
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Do not water frequently
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead branches
Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Put diluted fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
Borers, Cucumber beetles, Mealybugs, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Used as a nutritious food item, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
DILLENIA indica
CUCURBITA pepo 'Papaya Pear'
Common Name
Chulta, Elephant Apple
Summer Squash
In Hindi
Elephant Apple
summer squash
In German
Elefant von Apple
Sommerkürbis
In French
Elephant d'Apple
courges d'été
In Spanish
El elefante de Apple
calabaza de verano
In Greek
ελέφαντας της Apple
καλοκαίρι σκουός
In Portuguese
Elefante da Apple
abobrinha
In Polish
Słoń Jabłko
latem squash
In Latin
Elephant Apple
aestas cucurbitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Dilleniales
Violales
Family
Dilleniaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Dillenia
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Cucurbiteae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
15
1
27800
👆🏻