Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Central America, Mexico, North America
Types
-
Neck, Really Big Hybrid, Waltham
Number of Varieties
35
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
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
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
Oval or Rounded
Prostrate/Trailing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm7.62 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm50.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Peach, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Early Summer, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove the old foliage
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Balanced organic fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer, Nitrogen, Phosphate
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Dry root rot, Fusarium leaf spot, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Full Sun, Shade areas, Shallow soil
Flowers
Showy
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Bees
Allergy
Asthma
Dermatitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Glowing Skin, Good for skin and hair
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiasthamatic, anti-cancer, Cardiovascular problems, cholesterol-lowering, constipation, Diabetes, Fiber, High blood pressure, High cholestrol, Immunity, Manganese, Obesity, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
For making oil, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
CUCURBITA pepo 'White Crown of Thorns'
Common Name
River Birch
Winter Squash
In Hindi
River Birch
कोंहड़ा
In German
Fluss Birch
Winter squash
In French
Birch river
courges d'hiver
In Spanish
river Birch
calabaza de invierno
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
σκουός χειμώνα
In Portuguese
river Birch
abóbora
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
dynia
In Latin
Betula
cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Violales
Family
Betulaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Betula
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
327
1
27800
👆🏻