Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, China
South America
Types
Tropical Fruit Tree
Portulaca grandiflora
Habitat
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
gardens, Roadsides, Waste areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
5-11
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Spreading
Prostrate/Trailing
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Yellow green, Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Shape
Oblong or Lanceolate
Needle like
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Tolerances
-
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead branches
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shearing
Fertilizers
Put diluted fertilizers
Requires high amount of nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
Aphids, Botrytis Blight, Brown Spots, Gray mold, Root rot, Stem rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin Problems
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite, Swelling
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Flowers, Leaves, Stem, Whole plant
Other Uses
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Cottage garden, Edible
Botanical Name
DILLENIA indica
PORTULACA grandiflora
Common Name
Chulta, Elephant Apple
Moss Rose, Portulaca, Sundial Scarlet Portulaca
In Hindi
Elephant Apple
Portulaca
In German
Elefant von Apple
Portulak
In French
Elephant d'Apple
portulaca
In Spanish
El elefante de Apple
Portulaca
In Greek
ελέφαντας της Apple
Portulaca
In Portuguese
Elefante da Apple
Portulaca
In Polish
Słoń Jabłko
Portulaca
In Latin
Elephant Apple
Portulaca
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Dilleniales
Caryophyllales
Family
Dilleniaceae
Portulacaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of Elephant Apple and Portulaca
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Elephant Apple and Portulaca. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Elephant Apple and Portulaca 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 Elephant Apple is Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent and Expectorant whereas of Portulaca is Depurative, Insect Bites, Liver problems, Snakebite and Swelling. Elephant Apple has beauty benefits as follows: while Portulaca has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Elephant Apple vs Portulaca
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 Elephant Apple vs Portulaca 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 Elephant Apple are whereas of Portulaca have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Elephant Apple has showy fruits and Portulaca has no showy fruits. Also Elephant Apple is not flowering and Portulaca is not flowering . You can compare Elephant Apple and Portulaca facts and facts of other plants too.