Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Shrub
Origin
Central America, South America
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Types
Fruit Tree
-
Number of Varieties
2700
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-115-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
8-5
Sunset Zone
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Thicket/Colonizing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
457.20 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
243.84 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink
White, Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
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
Soil Type
Dry, Sandy
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full 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
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
Ammonium Nitrate
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Wind
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Allergy
Pollen
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
Food for animals, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
Malpighia emarginata
CALLUNA vulgaris
Common Name
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
Heather, Common heather, Ling
In Hindi
Acerola Tree
हीथ
In German
Acerola Baum
Heidekraut
In French
Acerola Arbre
bruyère
In Spanish
Árbol de acerola
brezo
In Greek
Acerola Δέντρο
ερείκη
In Portuguese
Árvore acerola
urze
In Polish
Acerola Drzewo
wrzos
In Latin
Acerola ligno
Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malpighiales
Ericales
Family
Malpighiaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Malpighia
Calluna
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Ericeae
Subfamily
Paperveroideae
Ericoideae
Number of Species
-860
1
27800
👆🏻