Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
Southern Africa
Melanesia, Australia
Types
Carissa Carandas
Umbrella plant
Amate
Number of Varieties
41000
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
gardens, Homesteads, Roadsides, Tropical regions, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1110-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-9
Sunset Zone
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 23, 24
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm460.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Red, Purple
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Red, Purple
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval to roundish
Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Do Not over Water, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water occasionally
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Equal amount of N,P,K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds
Allergy
Mildly Toxic
Dermititis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Arthritis, Asthma, Headache, Rheumatoid arthritis, Stomach pain
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Root
Other Uses
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Screening / Wind Break, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
SCHEFFLERA actinophylla
Common Name
Large Num-Num
Octopus Tree
In Hindi
नेटाल बेर
ऑक्टोपस पेड़
In German
Natal Plum
Octopus tree
In French
natal Plum
arbre Octopus
In Spanish
Ciruela Natal
árbol pulpo
In Greek
Natal Plum
χταπόδι δέντρο
In Portuguese
Natal Plum
Octopus árvore
In Polish
Natal Plum
Ośmiornica drzewo
In Latin
Natal Plum
polypus ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Apiales
Family
Apocynaceae
Araliaceae
Genus
Carissa
Schefflera
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Carisseae
-
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
Aralioideae
Number of Species
2015
1
27800
👆🏻