Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
North America, Mexico, Central America
Central America, South America
Types
-
Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
802
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-79-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
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
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm243.84 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Dry, Sandy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Wind
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Malpighia emarginata
Common Name
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
In Hindi
करेला
Acerola Tree
In German
Bittermelone
Acerola Baum
In French
Momordica charantia
Acerola Arbre
In Spanish
Momordica charantia
Árbol de acerola
In Greek
-
Acerola Δέντρο
In Portuguese
Momordica
Árvore acerola
In Polish
Przepękla ogórkowata
Acerola Drzewo
In Latin
-
Acerola ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Spermatophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Violales
Malpighiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Malpighiaceae
Genus
Momordica
Malpighia
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Paperveroideae
Number of Species
80-
1
27800
👆🏻