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Compare Bitter Gourd and River Birch


River Birch and Bitter Gourd


What is

Life Span
Annual  
Perennial  

Type
Vegetable  
Tree  

Origin
North America, Mexico, Central America  
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States  

Types
-  
-  

Number of Varieties
80  
99+
3  

Habitat
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates  
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps  

USDA Hardiness Zone
5-7  
4-9  

AHS Heat Zone
12-1  
9-1  

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  
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
Vining/Climbing  
Oval or Rounded  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
60.00 cm  
99+
1,220.00 cm  
33

Minimum Width
90.00 cm  
99+
1,220.00 cm  
14

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green  
Yellow, Brown  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green  
Black  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green  
Green, Light Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green  
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan  

Leaf Color in Winter
-  
-  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Palmate  
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Summer, Fall  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Very Fast  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Neutral  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Average  

Bloom Time
Indeterminate  
Spring  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
No  

Tolerances
Drought  
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Seedlings  
Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Low  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering  
Requires a lot of 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  

Soil Type
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Average  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts  
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed  

Fertilizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year  

Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite  
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae  

Plant Tolerance
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction  
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
-  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
Yes  
No  

Edible Fruit
Yes  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
Yes  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
No  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
Yes  

Foliage Texture
Coarse  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Matte  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
No  

Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects  
-  

Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage  
Asthma  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
-  
Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
No  

Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Insect Repellent  
Erosion control, Wildlife  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss  
-  

Part of Plant Used
Fruits  
Whole plant  

Other Uses
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology  
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine  
Feature Plant, Shade Trees  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'  
BETULA nigra  

Common Name
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd  
River Birch  

In Hindi
करेला  
River Birch  

In German
Bittermelone  
Fluss Birch  

In French
Momordica charantia  
Birch river  

In Spanish
Momordica charantia  
river Birch  

In Greek
-  
ποταμός Birch  

In Portuguese
Momordica  
river Birch  

In Polish
Przepękla ogórkowata  
Rzeka Birch  

In Latin
-  
Betula  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Spermatophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Violales  
Fagales  

Family
Cucurbitaceae  
Betulaceae  

Genus
Momordica  
Betula  

Clade
-  
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae  
-  

Number of Species
80  
99+
3  

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Difference Between Bitter Gourd and River Birch

If you are confused whether Bitter Gourd or River Birch are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Bitter Gourd and River Birch Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Bitter Gourd are Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potassium, whereas for River Birch fertilizers required are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer and No need to fertilize every year. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Bitter Gourd and River Birch if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Bitter Gourd and River Birch

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Bitter Gourd and River Birch. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Bitter Gourd and River Birch 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 River Birch is . Bitter Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp and Removes dandruff while River Birch has beauty benefits as follows: Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp and Removes dandruff.

Compare Facts of Bitter Gourd vs River Birch

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 River Birch 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 River Birch have Asthma respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Bitter Gourd has showy fruits and River Birch has no showy fruits. Also Bitter Gourd is not flowering and River Birch is not flowering . You can compare Bitter Gourd and River Birch facts and facts of other plants too.

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