Life Span
Annual and Biennials
Perennial
Origin
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Lagenaria siceraria
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Habitat
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-7
9-15
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, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Red, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Palmate
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Late Winter
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Nitrogen
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
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought, Soil Compaction
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Aesthetic Uses
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
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Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Medicinal Uses
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
Lagenaria siceraria
Ceiba pentandra
Common Name
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
In Hindi
लौकी
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
In German
Flaschenkürbis
Kapok baum
In French
Lagenaria siceraria
Fromager
In Spanish
Lagenaria siceraria
Ceiba
In Portuguese
Cabaça
Mafumeira
In Polish
Tykwa pospolita
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
In Latin
utrem cucurbita
Ceiba
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Malvales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Bombacaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
Papilionoideae
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Importance of Bottle Gourd and Kapok
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Bottle Gourd and Kapok. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Bottle Gourd and Kapok 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 Bottle Gourd is Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive and Weight loss whereas of Kapok is Aphrodisiac and Diuretic. Bottle Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: Anti-ageing and Making cosmetics while Kapok has beauty benefits as follows: Anti-ageing and Making cosmetics.
Compare Facts of Bottle Gourd vs Kapok
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 Bottle Gourd vs Kapok 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 Bottle Gourd are Hypoglycaemic Coma and Irregular Heart Rhythm whereas of Kapok have Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress and wheezing respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Bottle Gourd has showy fruits and Kapok has showy fruits. Also Bottle Gourd is not flowering and Kapok is not flowering . You can compare Bottle Gourd and Kapok facts and facts of other plants too.