Life Span
Annual and Biennials
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Central America, Mexico
Types
Lagenaria siceraria
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
23
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-77-8
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
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
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, 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
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
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 branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Leaf rust, Red spider mite, Striped cucumber beetles
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Cold climate
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
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Lagenaria siceraria
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
लौकी
Mousemelon
In German
Flaschenkürbis
Maus Melone
In French
Lagenaria siceraria
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Lagenaria siceraria
Mousemelon
In Greek
Τσότρα
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Cabaça
melão rato
In Polish
Tykwa pospolita
mysz melona
In Latin
utrem cucurbita
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Coccinia
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Papilionoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
2750
1
27800
👆🏻