Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Origin
North America, Mexico, Central America
United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States, Texas, Mexico
Habitat
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-7
8-11
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, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Red, Magenta, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
Brown, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Arrowhead
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
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 damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Toxic
Beauty Benefits
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
-
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Antiemetic, Diuretic, Purgative, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used as a general tonic, Used as a rat poison, Used as a vegetable
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
ERYTHRINA herbacea
Common Name
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
Red cardinal, Cardinal spear
In Hindi
करेला
Red Cardinal
In German
Bittermelone
Red Cardinal
In French
Momordica charantia
Cardinal rouge
In Spanish
Momordica charantia
Cárdenas
In Greek
-
κόκκινο Καρδινάλιος
In Portuguese
Momordica
Cardeal vermelho
In Polish
Przepękla ogórkowata
Red Cardinal
In Latin
-
Cardinalis Rubrum
Phylum
Spermatophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Momordica
Erythrina
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Faboideae
Importance of Bitter Gourd and Red Cardinal
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Bitter Gourd and Red Cardinal. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Bitter Gourd and Red Cardinal 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 Bitter Gourd is Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders and Weight loss whereas of Red Cardinal is Antiemetic, Diuretic, Purgative and Tonic. Bitter Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp and Removes dandruff while Red Cardinal has beauty benefits as follows: Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp and Removes dandruff.
Compare Facts of Bitter Gourd vs Red Cardinal
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 Bitter Gourd vs Red Cardinal 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 Bitter Gourd are Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm and Miscarriage whereas of Red Cardinal have Toxic respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Bitter Gourd has showy fruits and Red Cardinal has showy fruits. Also Bitter Gourd is not flowering and Red Cardinal is not flowering . You can compare Bitter Gourd and Red Cardinal facts and facts of other plants too.