Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Brazil
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Neomarica gracilis
Lagenaria siceraria
Number of Varieties
32
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
subtropical regions, Tropical regions
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-145-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 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
Thicket/Colonizing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Blue, Burgundy, Lavender, Blue Violet
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Sword-like
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
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
Early Spring, Spring, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
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
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Cut out old leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Balanced garden plant fertilizer
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial Diseases, Fungal Diseases, Rodent, Viruses
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
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
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
-
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
-
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
NEOMARICA caerulea
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
Giant Apostle's Iris, Walking Iris
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In Hindi
Walking Iris
लौकी
In German
Gehen Iris
Flaschenkürbis
In French
Iris Marcher
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
caminar Iris
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
περπάτημα Iris
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
Andar Iris
Cabaça
In Polish
Walking Iris
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
O Thaumantias
utrem cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Liliales
Cucurbitales
Family
Iridaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Neomarica
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Mariceae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
2827
1
27800
👆🏻