Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe, Turkey
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Habitat
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Shady Edge, Woodland Garden Dappled Shade
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-14
6-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Pink, Rose, Violet
Not Available
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Orange, Light Yellow, Lemon yellow, Yellow green, Gold
Not Available
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
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
Saw-tooth like
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Shade, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
All year
Tolerances
Frost
Drought, Dry Conditions, Light Frost, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Divison, From Rhizomes, Spores
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season
when new, water every week
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Shade, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Invasive
No
Not Available
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Kidney Stone
Not Available
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
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
Poultice, Sore throat, Tonsillitis
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
AVERRHOA carambola
POLYSTICHUM setiferum
Common Name
Carambola, Starfruit
Alaska fern
In Hindi
carambola पेड़
Soft Shield Fern
In German
Sternfrucht Baum
Grannen-Schildfarn
In French
arbre carambole
Soft Shield Fern
In Spanish
árbol de carambola
Soft Shield Fern
In Greek
carambola δέντρο
Soft Shield Fern
In Portuguese
árvore de carambola
Soft Shield Fern
In Polish
karambola drzewo
Soft Shield Fern
In Latin
carambola ligno
Soft Shield Fern
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Pteridophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Filicopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Polypodiales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Dryopteridaceae
Genus
Averrhoa
Polystichum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Not Available
Tribe
Not Available
Not Available
Subfamily
Not Available
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Carambola and Soft Shield Fern
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Carambola and Soft Shield Fern. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Carambola and Soft Shield Fern 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 Soft Shield Fern is Poultice, Sore throat and Tonsillitis. Carambola has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Soft Shield Fern has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Carambola vs Soft Shield Fern
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 Soft Shield Fern 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 Soft Shield Fern have Not Available respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Carambola has showy fruits and Soft Shield Fern has no showy fruits. Also Carambola is not flowering and Soft Shield Fern is not flowering . You can compare Carambola and Soft Shield Fern facts and facts of other plants too.