Life Span
Annual and Biennials
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States, Texas, Mexico
Types
Lagenaria siceraria
-
Number of Varieties
22
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-78-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
11-7
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, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Red, Magenta, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
Brown, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Arrowhead
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
Apply 10-10-10 amount
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
-
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Drought
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Borders
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
-
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
Antiemetic, Diuretic, Purgative, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used as a general tonic, Used as a rat poison, Used as a vegetable
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
Lagenaria siceraria
ERYTHRINA herbacea
Common Name
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
Red cardinal, Cardinal spear
In Hindi
लौकी
Red Cardinal
In German
Flaschenkürbis
Red Cardinal
In French
Lagenaria siceraria
Cardinal rouge
In Spanish
Lagenaria siceraria
Cárdenas
In Greek
Τσότρα
κόκκινο Καρδινάλιος
In Portuguese
Cabaça
Cardeal vermelho
In Polish
Tykwa pospolita
Red Cardinal
In Latin
utrem cucurbita
Cardinalis Rubrum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Fabales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Coccinia
Erythrina
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Phaseoleae
Subfamily
Papilionoideae
Faboideae
Number of Species
2710
1
27800
👆🏻