Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Carissa Carandas
-
Number of Varieties
420
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
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
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Yellow
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
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
Heart-shaped
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
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Do not water frequently
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
Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Equal amount of N,P,K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Borers, Cucumber beetles, Mealybugs, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
-
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
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Fruits
Other Uses
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used as a nutritious food item, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
CUCURBITA pepo 'Papaya Pear'
Common Name
Large Num-Num
Summer Squash
In Hindi
नेटाल बेर
summer squash
In German
Natal Plum
Sommerkürbis
In French
natal Plum
courges d'été
In Spanish
Ciruela Natal
calabaza de verano
In Greek
Natal Plum
καλοκαίρι σκουός
In Portuguese
Natal Plum
abobrinha
In Polish
Natal Plum
latem squash
In Latin
Natal Plum
aestas cucurbitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Violales
Family
Apocynaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Carissa
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Carisseae
Cucurbiteae
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
205
1
27800
👆🏻