Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants, Herbs
Shrub
Origin
-
Eastern Africa, Southern Africa
Types
-
Epigeal, Hypogeal
Number of Varieties
22
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
moist forests, Mountains
Coastal sand dunes, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-2
12-1
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
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
38.10 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Pink, Lavender
Yellow, Red, Green, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Reniform
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
reseeds, root cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Do Not over Water, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 5-10-5 amounts, Compost
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Red blotch, Trunk Rot
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Leaf Hoppers
-
Allergy
Itchiness, Sore Throat
Kidney Disease
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
Formal Garden, Hanging Basket
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
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cough, Haemorrhages, Laxative, Obesity, Tonic
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Beans
Other Uses
Added to salads, Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Culinary use
Basketary, Edible seed
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
Averrhoa bilimbi
COTYLEDON
Common Name
Bilimbi, Mimbro
Pig's ear, Dog's ear
In Hindi
Bilimbi
बीजपत्र
In German
bilimbi
Cotyledon
In French
bilimbi
Cotyledon
In Spanish
bilimbi
Cotyledon
In Greek
bilimbi
κοτυληδών kotylēdōn
In Portuguese
bilimbi
Cotyledon
In Polish
bilimbi
Liścień
In Latin
Rondo Beardtongue
Cotyledon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Rosales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Crassulaceae
Genus
Averrhoa
Cotyledon L.
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1212
1
27800
👆🏻