Bitter Gourd

Malabar Spinach

About Bitter Gourd and Malabar Spinach

Bitter Gourd

Malabar Spinach

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What is

Life Span

Annual

Perennial

Type

Vegetable

Origin

North America, Mexico, Central America

Southeastern Asia, India

Types

Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach

Number of Varieties

805

0 40000

👆🏻

Habitat

Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates

Hot climate regions, Humid climates

USDA Hardiness Zone

5-7-9999

0 99

👆🏻

AHS Heat Zone

12-1

12*7

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, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Habit

Vining/Climbing

Information

Plant Size

Minimum Height

60.00 cm2.40 cm

0 3900

👆🏻

Minimum Width

90.00 cm24.00 cm

0 6350

👆🏻

Plant Color

Flower Color

Yellow, Orange, Dark Green

Red, Green, Orange Red

Flower Color Modifier

Bicolor

Fruit Color

Yellow, Dark Green

White, Ivory

Leaf Color in Spring

Green, Dark Green

Green, Light Green

Leaf Color in Summer

Green, Dark Green

Leaf Color in Fall

Green, Dark Green

Purple, Gray Green

Leaf Color in Winter

Purple, Gray Green

Shape

Leaf Shape

Palmate

Heart-shaped

Thorns

✔ ✘

Season

Plant Season

Summer, Fall

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Growing Conditions

Sunlight

Full Sun

Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade

Growth Rate

Very Fast

Fast

Type of Soil

Loam, Sand

Clay, Loam

The pH of Soil

Neutral

Soil Drainage

Well drained

Bloom Time

Indeterminate

Repeat Bloomer

✔ ✘

Tolerances

Drought

Care

Where to Plant?

Ground

How to Plant?

Seedlings

Leaf Cutting, Seedlings

Plant Maintenance

Medium

Watering Plants

Watering Requirements

Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering

Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil

In Summer

Lots of watering

Average Water

In Spring

Moderate

In Winter

Average Water

Soil

Soil pH

Neutral

Soil Type

Loam, Sand

Clay, Loam

Soil Drainage Capacity

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

Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves

Fertilizers

Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium

Nitrogen

Pests and Diseases

Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite

Aphids

Plant Tolerance

Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction

Drought

Facts

Flowers

Showy

Flower Petal Number

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

Benefits

Uses

Aesthetic Uses

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

Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C

Part of Plant Used

Fruits

Leaves

Other Uses

Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology

Used As Food

Used As Indoor Plant

✔ ✘

Used As Outdoor Plant

✔ ✘

Garden Design

Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine

Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine

Scientific Name

Botanical Name

CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'

BASELLA alba

Common Name

Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd

Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach

In Hindi

करेला

पोई

In German

Bittermelone

Malabarspinat

In French

Momordica charantia

L’épinard de Malabar

In Spanish

Momordica charantia

espinaca de Malabar

In Greek

Malabar Σπανάκι

In Portuguese

Momordica

Malabar espinafre

In Polish

Przepękla ogórkowata

Szpinak Malabar

In Latin

Spinach Malabar

Classification

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Spermatophyta

Magnoliophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Eudicotyledones

Order

Violales

Caryophyllales

Family

Cucurbitaceae

Basellaceae

Genus

Momordica

Basella

Clade

Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots

Tribe

Subfamily

Cucurbitoideae

Number of Species

8060

1 27800

👆🏻

Properties of Bitter Gourd and Malabar Spinach

Wondering what are the properties of Bitter Gourd and Malabar Spinach? We provide you with everything About Bitter Gourd and Malabar Spinach. Bitter Gourd doesn't have thorns and Malabar Spinach 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 Malabar Spinach 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 Malabar Spinach and you can choose the plant having best and most benefits.

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Season and Care of Bitter Gourd and Malabar Spinach

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

Bitter Gourd and Malabar Spinach Physical Information

Bitter Gourd and Malabar Spinach physical information is very important for comparison. Bitter Gourd height is 60.00 cm and width 90.00 cm whereas Malabar Spinach height is 2.40 cm and width 24.00 cm. The color specification of Bitter Gourd and Malabar Spinach are as follows:

Bitter Gourd flower color: Yellow, Orange and Dark Green
Bitter Gourd leaf color: Green, Dark Green
Malabar Spinach flower color: Red, Green and Orange Red
Malabar Spinach leaf color: Green and Light Green

Care of Bitter Gourd and Malabar Spinach

Care of Bitter Gourd and Malabar Spinach 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 Malabar Spinach pruning is done Remove damaged leaves and Remove dead leaves. In summer Bitter Gourd needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Malabar Spinach needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Average Water.