Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
North America, Mexico, Central America
Polynesia
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
8080
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
Forest edges, gardens, Homesteads
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-710-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
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, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm760.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Yellow, Red, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
Blue, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Red, Green, Dark Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Red, Green, Dark Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Red, Green, Dark Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Red, Green, Dark Green, Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Compound
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
Do Not over Water, Keep ground moist
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, 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
Mites, Nematodes, Scale
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
-
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Whole plant
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Houseplant, Screening / Wind Break, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Plerandra elegantissima
Common Name
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
False Aralia
In Hindi
करेला
Aralia
In German
Bittermelone
falsch Aralia
In French
Momordica charantia
faux Aralia
In Spanish
Momordica charantia
Falso Aralia
In Greek
-
Λάθος Aralia
In Portuguese
Momordica
Aralia false
In Polish
Przepękla ogórkowata
fałsz Aralia
In Latin
-
falsum Aralia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Spermatophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Apiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Araliaceae
Genus
Momordica
Plerandra
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
801
1
27800
👆🏻