Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Brazil
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Yellow Bloodleaf, Herbst's Bloodleaf, Standley's Bloodleaf
-
Number of Varieties
7080
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
tropical environments
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-155-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.24 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.32 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Red, Green, Purple
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Red, Green, Purple
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Purple
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Softwood cuttings, Stem Cutting, Tip cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Balanced liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Flowers
-
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects, Wildlife
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Pollen
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Indoor Air Purification, Provides ground cover
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
IRESINE herbstii
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Common Name
Bloodleaf, Herbst's bloodleaf
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
In Hindi
Bloodleaf Plant
करेला
In German
Bloodleaf Pflanze
Bittermelone
In French
Feuillesang Plante
Momordica charantia
In Spanish
Planta Sangrienta
Momordica charantia
In Greek
Bloodleaf φυτών
-
In Portuguese
Bloodleaf Planta
Momordica
In Polish
Bloodleaf roślin
Przepękla ogórkowata
In Latin
Planta Bloodleaf
-
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Violales
Family
Amaranthaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Iresine
Momordica
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
Gomphreneae
-
Subfamily
Gomphrenoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
7080
1
27800
👆🏻