Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Flowering Plants, Herbs
Shrub
Origin
-
Southern Africa
Types
-
Carissa bispinosa, Carissa carandas
Number of Varieties
220
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
moist forests, Mountains
Coastal Regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-2
12-9
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
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
38.10 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Pink, Lavender
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
Light Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Elliptic and Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Shade areas
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
cut main trunk every 5 years, Prune after flowering, Prune central stem, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 5-10-5 amounts, Compost
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Red blotch, Trunk Rot
Insects, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Thripes, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shade areas
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Birds
Allergy
Itchiness, Sore Throat
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
Beautification, Bonsai, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Good Cleanser, Remove blemishes, Removes pimples
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cough, Haemorrhages, Laxative, Obesity, Tonic
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Added to salads, Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Culinary use
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
Averrhoa bilimbi
CARISSA macrocarpa
Common Name
Bilimbi, Mimbro
Carissia
In Hindi
Bilimbi
Carissa
In German
bilimbi
carissa
In French
bilimbi
carissa
In Spanish
bilimbi
carissa
In Greek
bilimbi
carissa
In Portuguese
bilimbi
carissa
In Polish
bilimbi
carissa
In Latin
Rondo Beardtongue
carissa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Gentianales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Averrhoa
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Carisseae
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
12100
1
27800
👆🏻