Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Origin
Melanesia, Australia
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Umbrella plant
Amate
Lagenaria siceraria
Habitat
gardens, Homesteads, Roadsides, Tropical regions, Woods
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
5-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 23, 24
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
Habit
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Red, Pink
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red, Purple
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Purple
-
Leaf Shape
Elliptic
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water occasionally
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Leaf rust, Red spider mite, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Dermititis
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Asthma, Headache, Rheumatoid arthritis, Stomach pain
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Screening / Wind Break, Street Trees, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
SCHEFFLERA actinophylla
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
Octopus Tree
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In Hindi
ऑक्टोपस पेड़
लौकी
In German
Octopus tree
Flaschenkürbis
In French
arbre Octopus
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
árbol pulpo
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
χταπόδι δέντρο
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
Octopus árvore
Cabaça
In Polish
Ośmiornica drzewo
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
polypus ligno
utrem cucurbita
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Apiales
Cucurbitales
Family
Araliaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Schefflera
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
Aralioideae
Papilionoideae
Season and Care of Octopus Tree and Bottle Gourd
Season and care of Octopus Tree and Bottle Gourd is important to know. While considering everything about Octopus Tree and Bottle Gourd Care, growing season is an essential factor. Octopus Tree season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Bottle Gourd season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for Octopus Tree is Loam, Sand and for Bottle Gourd is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Octopus Tree is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Bottle Gourd is Neutral.
Octopus Tree and Bottle Gourd Physical Information
Octopus Tree and Bottle Gourd physical information is very important for comparison. Octopus Tree height is 610.00 cm and width 460.00 cm whereas Bottle Gourd height is 60.00 cm and width 90.00 cm. The color specification of Octopus Tree and Bottle Gourd are as follows:
Octopus Tree flower color: Red and Pink
Octopus Tree leaf color: Green and Light Green
Bottle Gourd flower color: Yellow, Orange and Dark Green
- Bottle Gourd leaf color: Green, Dark Green
Care of Octopus Tree and Bottle Gourd
Care of Octopus Tree and Bottle Gourd include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Octopus Tree pruning is done Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches and Remove dead leaves and Bottle Gourd pruning is done Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together and Remove dead or diseased plant parts. In summer Octopus Tree needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Bottle Gourd needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.