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About Bitter Gourd and Citron


About Citron and Bitter Gourd


What is

Life Span
Annual  
Perennial  

Type
Vegetable  
Fruit  

Origin
North America, Mexico, Central America  
Southern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia  

Types
-  
etrog  

Number of Varieties
80  
99+
5  

Habitat
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates  
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions  

USDA Hardiness Zone
5-7  
9-11  

AHS Heat Zone
12-1  
12-9  

Sunset Zone
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  
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  

Habit
Vining/Climbing  
Oval or Rounded  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
60.00 cm  
99+
240.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
90.00 cm  
99+
180.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green  
White, Purple  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green  
Yellow  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
-  
Light Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Palmate  
Ovate elongated  

Thorns
No  
Yes  

Season

Plant Season
Summer, Fall  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Very Fast  
Medium  

Type of Soil
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Neutral  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Indeterminate  
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Seedlings  
Seedlings, Transplanting  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering  
Needs less watering  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Neutral  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Type
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts  
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves  

Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite  
Aphids, Citrus foot rot, Leafminers, Red blotch  

Plant Tolerance
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
Yes  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
Yes  
Yes  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
Yes  
Yes  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
Yes  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
Yes  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
Yes  

Showy Foliage
No  
No  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Coarse  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects  
Birds, Butterflies  

Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage  
Mild Allergen  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
-  
Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff  
Brightens the skin complexion, Good for skin and hair  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Insect Repellent  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss  
Antibiotic, Antidote, Pulmonary afflictions, Recovering internal injuries  

Part of Plant Used
Fruits  
Fruits, Leaves  

Other Uses
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology  
Used as a nutritious food item, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine  
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'  
CITRUS medica  

Common Name
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd  
Citron  

In Hindi
करेला  
नीबू  

In German
Bittermelone  
Zitrone  

In French
Momordica charantia  
Citron  

In Spanish
Momordica charantia  
Cidra  

In Greek
-  
Κίτρο  

In Portuguese
Momordica  
cidra  

In Polish
Przepękla ogórkowata  
Cytryna  

In Latin
-  
Chron  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Spermatophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Violales  
Sapindales  

Family
Cucurbitaceae  
Rutaceae  

Genus
Momordica  
Citrus  

Clade
-  
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  

Tribe
-  
Citreae  

Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae  
Aurantioideae  

Number of Species
80  
99+
7  

Summary >>
<< Classification

Properties of Bitter Gourd and Citron

Wondering what are the properties of Bitter Gourd and Citron? We provide you with everything About Bitter Gourd and Citron. Bitter Gourd doesn't have thorns and Citron doesn't have thorns. Also Bitter Gourd does not have fragrant flowers. Bitter Gourd has allergic reactions like Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm and Miscarriage and Citron has allergic reactions like Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm and Miscarriage. Compare all the properties and characteristics of these two plants. Find out which of these plant can be used as indoor plant. If you are interested to decorate your house and garden, find out aesthetic uses, compare them and select the plant which will beautify your surrounding. Along with beautification, try comparing medicinal and edible uses of Bitter Gourd and Citron and you can choose the plant having best and most benefits.

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Season and Care of Bitter Gourd and Citron

Season and care of Bitter Gourd and Citron is important to know. While considering everything about Bitter Gourd and Citron Care, growing season is an essential factor. Bitter Gourd season is Summer and Fall and Citron season is Summer and Fall. The type of soil for Bitter Gourd is Loam, Sand and for Citron is Clay, Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Bitter Gourd is Neutral and for Citron is Acidic, Neutral.

Bitter Gourd and Citron Physical Information

Bitter Gourd and Citron physical information is very important for comparison. Bitter Gourd height is 60.00 cm and width 90.00 cm whereas Citron height is 240.00 cm and width 180.00 cm. The color specification of Bitter Gourd and Citron are as follows:

Care of Bitter Gourd and Citron

Care of Bitter Gourd and Citron include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Bitter Gourd pruning is done Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering and Remove dead or diseased plant parts and Citron pruning is done Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches and Remove dead leaves. In summer Bitter Gourd needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Citron needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.

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