Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants, Herbs
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
-
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Habitat
moist forests, Mountains
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9
-9999
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
Weeping
Flower Color
Purple, Pink, Lavender
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Succulent
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
-
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Summer
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Pruning
cut main trunk every 5 years, Prune after flowering, Prune central stem, 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
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Attracts
Butterflies, Leaf Hoppers
-
Allergy
Itchiness, Sore Throat
Itchiness
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Good Cleanser, Remove blemishes, Removes pimples
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, soil stabilisation
-
Medicinal Uses
Cough, Haemorrhages, Laxative, Obesity, Tonic
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Fruits, Nut
Other Uses
Added to salads, Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Culinary use
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
Averrhoa bilimbi
Selenicereus pteranthus
Common Name
Bilimbi, Mimbro
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
In Hindi
Bilimbi
moonlight cactus
In German
bilimbi
Selenicereus
In French
bilimbi
Selenicereus
In Spanish
bilimbi
Selenicereus
In Greek
bilimbi
Selenicereus
In Portuguese
bilimbi
Selenicereus
In Polish
bilimbi
Selenicereus
In Latin
Rondo Beardtongue
moonlight cactus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Caryophyllales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Averrhoa
Selenicereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Bilimbi and Moonlight cactus
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Bilimbi and Moonlight cactus. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Bilimbi and Moonlight cactus as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Bilimbi is Cough, Haemorrhages, Laxative, Obesity and Tonic whereas of Moonlight cactus is . Bilimbi has beauty benefits as follows: Anti-ageing, Good Cleanser, Remove blemishes and Removes pimples while Moonlight cactus has beauty benefits as follows: Anti-ageing, Good Cleanser, Remove blemishes and Removes pimples.
Compare Facts of Bilimbi vs Moonlight cactus
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Bilimbi vs Moonlight cactus and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Bilimbi are Itchiness and Sore Throat whereas of Moonlight cactus have Itchiness respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Bilimbi has no showy fruits and Moonlight cactus has showy fruits. Also Bilimbi is not flowering and Moonlight cactus is flowering. You can compare Bilimbi and Moonlight cactus facts and facts of other plants too.