Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
Starfruit
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Habitat
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-14
8-15
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Pink, Rose, Violet
White, Red, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
Yellow, Orange, Light Yellow, Lemon yellow, Yellow green, Gold
-
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
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Oblovate
Lance shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Fertilize every year
Apply 8-4-6 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
Yes
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
Kidney Stone
Rash
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure, Nutrients
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaves, Rhizomes
Other Uses
Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
AVERRHOA carambola
ALPINIA zerumbet
Common Name
Carambola, Starfruit
Shell Ginger
In Hindi
carambola पेड़
Shell Ginger
In German
Sternfrucht Baum
Shell Ginger
In French
arbre carambole
Shell Ginger
In Spanish
árbol de carambola
Shell jengibre
In Greek
carambola δέντρο
Shell Τζίντζερ
In Portuguese
árvore de carambola
Shell Ginger
In Polish
karambola drzewo
Shell Imbir
In Latin
carambola ligno
Crusta Ginger
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Lilopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Zingiberales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Zingiberaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Importance of Carambola and Shell Ginger
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Carambola and Shell Ginger. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Carambola and Shell Ginger 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 Shell Ginger is Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic and Hypotensive. Carambola has beauty benefits as follows: while Shell Ginger has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Carambola vs Shell Ginger
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 Shell Ginger 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 Shell Ginger have Rash respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Carambola has showy fruits and Shell Ginger has no showy fruits. Also Carambola is not flowering and Shell Ginger is not flowering . You can compare Carambola and Shell Ginger facts and facts of other plants too.