Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
South Africa
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
-
Number of Varieties
780
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-115-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
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
Egg-shaped
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
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, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
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
Wet Site
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Toxic
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
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Fruits
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Common Name
Buttonbush
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
करेला
In German
Button Strauch
Bittermelone
In French
buttonbush arbuste
Momordica charantia
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
Momordica charantia
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
-
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Momordica
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Przepękla ogórkowata
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
-
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Violales
Family
Bruniaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Momordica
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
1280
1
27800
👆🏻