Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants, Herbs
Shrub
Origin
-
Central America, South America
Types
-
Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
22
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
moist forests, Mountains
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-2
-
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
38.10 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm243.84 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Pink, Lavender
Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Dry, Sandy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
cut main trunk every 5 years, Prune after flowering, Prune central stem, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 5-10-5 amounts, Compost
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Red blotch, Trunk Rot
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wind
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
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Leaf Hoppers
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
Itchiness, Sore Throat
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Good Cleanser, Remove blemishes, Removes pimples
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cough, Haemorrhages, Laxative, Obesity, Tonic
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Added to salads, Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Culinary use
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
Averrhoa bilimbi
Malpighia emarginata
Common Name
Bilimbi, Mimbro
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
In Hindi
Bilimbi
Acerola Tree
In German
bilimbi
Acerola Baum
In French
bilimbi
Acerola Arbre
In Spanish
bilimbi
Árbol de acerola
In Greek
bilimbi
Acerola Δέντρο
In Portuguese
bilimbi
Árvore acerola
In Polish
bilimbi
Acerola Drzewo
In Latin
Rondo Beardtongue
Acerola ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Oxalidales
Malpighiales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Malpighiaceae
Genus
Averrhoa
Malpighia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Paperveroideae
Number of Species
12-
1
27800
👆🏻