Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
Central America, South America
Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
Fruit Tree
Tropical Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
210
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-9
Sunset Zone
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 24
Habit
Thicket/Colonizing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
457.20 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
243.84 cm1,370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Green, Yellow green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Oblong or Lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Dry, Sandy
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
Put diluted fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
Plant Tolerance
Wind
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
-
Allergy
Pollen
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
Malpighia emarginata
DILLENIA indica
Common Name
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
Chulta, Elephant Apple
In Hindi
Acerola Tree
Elephant Apple
In German
Acerola Baum
Elefant von Apple
In French
Acerola Arbre
Elephant d'Apple
In Spanish
Árbol de acerola
El elefante de Apple
In Greek
Acerola Δέντρο
ελέφαντας της Apple
In Portuguese
Árvore acerola
Elefante da Apple
In Polish
Acerola Drzewo
Słoń Jabłko
In Latin
Acerola ligno
Elephant Apple
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malpighiales
Dilleniales
Family
Malpighiaceae
Dilleniaceae
Genus
Malpighia
Dillenia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Paperveroideae
-
Number of Species
-1
1
27800
👆🏻