Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Fruit
Aquatics
Origin
Southeastern Asia
India
Types
Starfruit
Ipomoea aquatica
Number of Varieties
2120
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
subtropical regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-148-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-5
12-6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm12.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink, Rose, Violet
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Orange, Light Yellow, Lemon yellow, Yellow green, Gold
Green, Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblovate
Long Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Frost
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Bacterial leaf spot, Damping-off, Root rot
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Birds, Hens
Allergy
Kidney Stone
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Farmland
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure, Nutrients
Anti-ageing Benefits, Antidiabetic, Reduces toothache, Skin Diseases
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaves, Shoots, Stem
Other Uses
Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used in curries, soups, stews
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
AVERRHOA carambola
IPOMOEA aquatica
Common Name
Carambola, Starfruit
Swamp Cabbage, Swamp Morning Glory, Water Spinach
In Hindi
carambola पेड़
Water Spinach
In German
Sternfrucht Baum
Wasser-Spinat
In French
arbre carambole
Épinards d'eau
In Spanish
árbol de carambola
La espinaca de agua
In Greek
carambola δέντρο
Σπανάκι νερό
In Portuguese
árvore de carambola
Espinafre de água
In Polish
karambola drzewo
Szpinak wodny
In Latin
carambola ligno
Water Spinach
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Solanales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Convolvulaceae
Genus
Averrhoa
Ipomoea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Ipomoeeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
180500
1
27800
👆🏻