Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
North America, Mexico, Central America
Southern Africa
Types
-
Perennial
Number of Varieties
8050
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-78-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
10-8
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
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm61.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular 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
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Nematodes, Scale
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Drought
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Root
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
DIETES bicolor
Common Name
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
African iris, Fortnight lily
In Hindi
करेला
African Iris
In German
Bittermelone
Afrikanische Iris
In French
Momordica charantia
African Iris
In Spanish
Momordica charantia
Iris africano
In Greek
-
Αφρικανική Iris
In Portuguese
Momordica
Iris africano
In Polish
Przepękla ogórkowata
Afryki Iris
In Latin
-
African Iris
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Spermatophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Asparagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Momordica
Dietes
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Irideae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Iridoideae
Number of Species
80300
1
27800
👆🏻