Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Origin
Southeastern Asia
North America, Mexico, Central America
Habitat
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-14
5-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Pink, Rose, Violet
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Orange, Light Yellow, Lemon yellow, Yellow green, Gold
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Leaf Shape
Oblovate
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Fertilize every year
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Kidney Stone
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure, Nutrients
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits
Other Uses
Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
AVERRHOA carambola
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Common Name
Carambola, Starfruit
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
In Hindi
carambola पेड़
करेला
In German
Sternfrucht Baum
Bittermelone
In French
arbre carambole
Momordica charantia
In Spanish
árbol de carambola
Momordica charantia
In Greek
carambola δέντρο
-
In Portuguese
árvore de carambola
Momordica
In Polish
karambola drzewo
Przepękla ogórkowata
In Latin
carambola ligno
-
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Violales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Importance of Carambola and Bitter Gourd
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Carambola and Bitter Gourd. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Carambola and Bitter Gourd 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 Carambola is Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure and Nutrients whereas of Bitter Gourd is Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders and Weight loss. Carambola has beauty benefits as follows: while Bitter Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Carambola vs Bitter Gourd
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 Carambola vs Bitter Gourd 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 Carambola are Kidney Stone whereas of Bitter Gourd have Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm and Miscarriage respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Carambola has showy fruits and Bitter Gourd has showy fruits. Also Carambola is not flowering and Bitter Gourd is not flowering . You can compare Carambola and Bitter Gourd facts and facts of other plants too.