Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
Southern Africa
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Types
Carissa Carandas
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Number of Varieties
420
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-119-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-9
Sunset Zone
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm760.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm17.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Green, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval to roundish
Butterfly shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water Deeply
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
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 branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Equal amount of N,P,K
Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds
Allergy
Mildly Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Carminative, Laxative
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
BAUHINIA purpurea
Common Name
Large Num-Num
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
In Hindi
नेटाल बेर
Butterfly tree
In German
Natal Plum
Schmetterlings- Baum
In French
natal Plum
arbre de papillon
In Spanish
Ciruela Natal
árbol de la mariposa
In Greek
Natal Plum
δέντρο πεταλούδα
In Portuguese
Natal Plum
árvore borboleta
In Polish
Natal Plum
drzewo Butterfly
In Latin
Natal Plum
Gloria ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Fabales
Family
Apocynaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Carissa
Bauhinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Carisseae
Cercideae
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
Caesalpinioideae
Number of Species
20500
1
27800
👆🏻