Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Perennial
Lagenaria siceraria
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-10
5-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
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 pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Skin irritation
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
-
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In Hindi
African Iris
लौकी
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Flaschenkürbis
In French
African Iris
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
Iris africano
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
Iris africano
Cabaça
In Polish
Afryki Iris
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
African Iris
utrem cucurbita
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Cucurbitales
Family
Iridaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Papilionoideae
Importance of African Iris and Bottle Gourd
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of African Iris and Bottle Gourd. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare African Iris and Bottle Gourd as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of African Iris is whereas of Bottle Gourd is Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive and Weight loss. African Iris has beauty benefits as follows: while Bottle Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of African Iris vs Bottle Gourd
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of African Iris vs Bottle Gourd and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of African Iris are Skin irritation whereas of Bottle Gourd have Hypoglycaemic Coma and Irregular Heart Rhythm respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. African Iris has no showy fruits and Bottle Gourd has showy fruits. Also African Iris is not flowering and Bottle Gourd is not flowering . You can compare African Iris and Bottle Gourd facts and facts of other plants too.