Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Central America
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
A. houstonianum f. isochroum, A. houstonianum f. luteum, A. houstonianum var. muticescens
Lagenaria siceraria
Number of Varieties
62
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-135-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 21, 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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Blue, Blue Violet
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Keep the Soil well drained
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Leaf rust, Red spider mite, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
allergic reaction, Poisonous, Skin irritation
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anodyne, Cuts, Wounds
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Edging, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
AGERATUM houstonianum
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
Ageratum, Blue Mink, Flossflower
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In Hindi
Blue Mink
Plant
लौकी
In German
Blue Mink
Pflanze
Flaschenkürbis
In French
Bleu Mink
Plante
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
azul Mink
Planta
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
μπλε βιζόν
Φυτό
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
azul Mink
Plantar
Cabaça
In Polish
niebieski Mink
Roślina
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
blue Mink
planta
utrem cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asterales
Cucurbitales
Family
Asteraceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Ageratum
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Eupatorieae
-
Subfamily
Asteroideae
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
127
1
27800
👆🏻