Life Span
Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Tree
  
Flowering Plants, Herbs
  
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
  
Hybrid origin
  
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
  
Not Available
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
  
moist forests, Mountains
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
  
4-9
  
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
  
9-2
  
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
  
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
  
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
  
Clump-Forming
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Ivory
  
Purple, Pink, Lavender
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
  
Brown
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Not Available
  
Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
  
Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
  
Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
  
Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Compound
  
Pinnate
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Spring, Summer
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun
  
Growth Rate
Fast
  
Fast
  
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
  
Clay, Loam, Sand
  
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
  
Late Spring, Summer
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
Yes
  
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
  
Drought, Salt
  
Where to Plant?
Ground
  
Ground
  
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
  
Cuttings, Seedlings
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
  
Needs very little water
  
In Summer
Lots of watering
  
Lots of watering
  
In Spring
Moderate
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Average Water
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
  
Clay, Loam, Sand
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun
  
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
  
cut main trunk every 5 years, Prune after flowering, Prune central stem, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
  
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 5-10-5 amounts, Compost
  
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
  
Nematodes, Red blotch, Trunk Rot
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
Yes
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
No
  
Showy Bark
Yes
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
  
Butterflies, Leaf Hoppers
  
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
  
Itchiness, Not Available, Sore Throat
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
  
Beautification
  
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
  
Anti-ageing, Good Cleanser, Remove blemishes, Removes pimples
  
Edible Uses
Sometimes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
  
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, soil stabilisation
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
  
Cough, Haemorrhages, Laxative, Obesity, Tonic
  
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
  
Fruits, Leaves
  
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
  
Added to salads, Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Culinary use
  
Used As Indoor Plant
No
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
  
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
  
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
  
Averrhoa bilimbi
  
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
  
Bilimbi, Mimbro
  
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
  
Bilimbi
  
In German
Bursera simaruba
  
bilimbi
  
In French
Bursera simaruba
  
bilimbi
  
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
  
bilimbi
  
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
  
bilimbi
  
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
  
bilimbi
  
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
  
bilimbi
  
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
  
Rondo Beardtongue
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Angiosperms
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Eudicotyledones
  
Magnoliopsida
  
Order
Sapindales
  
Oxalidales
  
Family
Burseraceae
  
Oxalidaceae
  
Genus
Bursera
  
Averrhoa
  
Clade
Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Importance of Gumbo Limbo and Bilimbi
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Gumbo Limbo and Bilimbi. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Gumbo Limbo and Bilimbi 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 Gumbo Limbo is Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and Headache whereas of Bilimbi is Cough, Haemorrhages, Laxative, Obesity and Tonic. Gumbo Limbo has beauty benefits as follows: Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics and Removes pimples while Bilimbi has beauty benefits as follows: Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics and Removes pimples.
Compare Facts of Gumbo Limbo vs Bilimbi
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 Gumbo Limbo vs Bilimbi 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 Gumbo Limbo are allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching and Vomiting whereas of Bilimbi have Itchiness, Not Available and Sore Throat respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Gumbo Limbo has showy fruits and Bilimbi has no showy fruits. Also Gumbo Limbo is not flowering and Bilimbi is not flowering . You can compare Gumbo Limbo and Bilimbi facts and facts of other plants too.