Life Span
Annual and Biennials
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
India, Nepal, China
Types
Lagenaria siceraria
Betula utilis
Number of Varieties
22
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
Mountains
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-75-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
7-5
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
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Tan, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Yellow green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Yellow
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Cordiform
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
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 branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Fertilize in early spring, Fertilize in late fall, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Leaf rust, Red spider mite, Striped cucumber beetles
Honey fungus, Leaves with brown tip, Phytophthora Root Rot, Powdery mildew, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Dry Conditions, waterlogging, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
-
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
-
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Antioxidants, Antiseptic, Carminative
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used in construction, Wood is used in construction
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
Lagenaria siceraria
BETULA utilis
Common Name
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
Himalayan Birch
In Hindi
लौकी
हिमालय सन्टी
In German
Flaschenkürbis
Himalaya-Birke
In French
Lagenaria siceraria
bouleau de l'Himalaya
In Spanish
Lagenaria siceraria
abedul del Himalaya
In Greek
Τσότρα
Himalayan σημύδας
In Portuguese
Cabaça
bétula Himalaia
In Polish
Tykwa pospolita
Himalayan brzoza
In Latin
utrem cucurbita
Birch Himalayan
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Fagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Coccinia
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Papilionoideae
-
Number of Species
2730
1
27800
👆🏻