Life Span
Annual or Biennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Southern Africa
Types
Mexican potato,Mexican yam bean
Carissa Carandas
Number of Varieties
-4
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Moist Soils, Wet ground
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Lavender
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Tan
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval to roundish
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry soil, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From bulbs
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
Beetles, Leaf spot, Red blotch
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas, Shallow soil
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Mice
Birds
Allergy
Irritation to stomach, Itchiness
Mildly Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin tone
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Soil protection
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cold, Fever, Inflammation
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Bulbs, Root
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
PACHYRHIZUS erosus
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Mexican Yam bean
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
Pachyrhizus erosus
नेटाल बेर
In German
Yambohne
Natal Plum
In French
Kłębian kątowaty
natal Plum
In Spanish
Pachyrhizus erosus
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
Pachyrhizus erosus
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
Pachyrhizus erosus
Natal Plum
In Polish
Pachyrhizus erosus
Natal Plum
In Latin
Pachyrhizus erosus
Natal Plum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Gentianales
Family
Fabaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Pachyrhizus
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Carisseae
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
10020
1
27800
👆🏻