Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Aquatics
Fruit
Origin
India
Southeastern Asia
Types
Ipomoea aquatica
Starfruit
Number of Varieties
1202
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
subtropical regions, Tropical regions
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-1510-14
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
11-5
Sunset Zone
21,22
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Spreading
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
12.70 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Lavender
Pink, Rose, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Reddish Plum
Yellow, Orange, Light Yellow, Lemon yellow, Yellow green, Gold
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Elliptic
Oblovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Poorly Drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Frost
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Poorly Drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Damping-off, Root rot
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
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Hens
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Kidney Stone
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-ageing Benefits, Antidiabetic, Reduces toothache, Skin Diseases
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Shoots, Stem
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used in curries, soups, stews
Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Water Gardens
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Botanical Name
IPOMOEA aquatica
AVERRHOA carambola
Common Name
Swamp Cabbage, Swamp Morning Glory, Water Spinach
Carambola, Starfruit
In Hindi
Water Spinach
carambola पेड़
In German
Wasser-Spinat
Sternfrucht Baum
In French
Épinards d'eau
arbre carambole
In Spanish
La espinaca de agua
árbol de carambola
In Greek
Σπανάκι νερό
carambola δέντρο
In Portuguese
Espinafre de água
árvore de carambola
In Polish
Szpinak wodny
karambola drzewo
In Latin
Water Spinach
carambola ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Spermatophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Solanales
Oxalidales
Family
Convolvulaceae
Oxalidaceae
Genus
Ipomoea
Averrhoa
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Ipomoeeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
500180
1
27800
👆🏻