Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Carissa Carandas
-
Number of Varieties
480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-115-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-1
Sunset Zone
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval to roundish
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Keep ground moist, 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
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
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 out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Equal amount of N,P,K
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Mildly Toxic
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Fruits
Other Uses
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Common Name
Large Num-Num
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
In Hindi
नेटाल बेर
करेला
In German
Natal Plum
Bittermelone
In French
natal Plum
Momordica charantia
In Spanish
Ciruela Natal
Momordica charantia
In Greek
Natal Plum
-
In Portuguese
Natal Plum
Momordica
In Polish
Natal Plum
Przepękla ogórkowata
In Latin
Natal Plum
-
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Violales
Family
Apocynaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Carissa
Momordica
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
-
Tribe
Carisseae
-
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
2080
1
27800
👆🏻