Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Fruits, Trees
Origin
Southern Africa
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tropical Indomalaya
Types
Perennial
Feronia limonia, Limonia acidissima
Number of Varieties
501
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
Dry areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-8
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.30 cm800.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm900.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
Greyish Brown, Light Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Autumn
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Rich
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Budding, Layering, root cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Do not water excessively
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
Rich
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Prune after harvesting, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
for fruiting plants, use high phosphorous content fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
-
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Skin irritation
Gastric
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good Cleanser
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Blood cleanser, Diabetes, Ear ache, Energy, Kidney problems, Liver Protection, Malaria, Respiratory Disorders, Snakebite
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Edible, Fruit Tree
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
Limonia acidissima
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Wood apple, monkey fruit, curd fruit
In Hindi
African Iris
कबिट
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Indischer Holzapfel
In French
African Iris
Kawista
In Spanish
Iris africano
Kawista
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
γλυκό ασβέστη
In Portuguese
Iris africano
Limonia
In Polish
Afryki Iris
Feronia słoniowa
In Latin
African Iris
dulcis ad cinerem
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Sapindales
Family
Iridaceae
Rutaceae
Genus
Dietes
Limonia
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Irideae
Citreae
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Aurantioideae
Number of Species
3001
1
27800
👆🏻