Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, China
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Tropical Fruit Tree
-
Number of Varieties
103
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
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
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,370.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Yellow green, Brown
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong or Lanceolate
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires a lot of watering, 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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead branches
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
Put diluted fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
DILLENIA indica
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Chulta, Elephant Apple
River Birch
In Hindi
Elephant Apple
River Birch
In German
Elefant von Apple
Fluss Birch
In French
Elephant d'Apple
Birch river
In Spanish
El elefante de Apple
river Birch
In Greek
ελέφαντας της Apple
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
Elefante da Apple
river Birch
In Polish
Słoń Jabłko
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
Elephant Apple
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Dilleniales
Fagales
Family
Dilleniaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Dillenia
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
13
1
27800
👆🏻