Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable, Vines
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
North America, Mexico, Central America
Southern Africa
Types
Winter squash, Field pumpkin, Crookneck pumpkin
Hoodia albispina, Hoodia flava, Hoodia bainii
Number of Varieties
825
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
close to waterfalls, Riverbanks, Warmer regions, waterways, Wet ground
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
1-612-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
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
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
91.44 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
609.60 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Red, Pink, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Orange Red, Yellow Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Blue Green, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
-
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Early Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Well drained
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Once a week
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
prune leaves so as to circulate fresh air, Remove Vines
No pruning needed in the early stages
Fertilizers
Apply 5-10-5 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Scab
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Salt and Soil Compaction
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Beetles, Bugs
Flies, Insects
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems, Itchiness, Swelling in the face
Dry Mouth
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin and hair, Skin cleanser, Skin Problems
Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anemia, Antibacterial, anti-cancer, cholesterol-lowering, High blood pressure, Immunity, Prevention of convulsion, Regulates Blood Sugar
Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in salads
Can be made into a herbal tea, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
CUCURBITA moschata 'Long Island Cheese'
Hoodia gordonii
Common Name
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, Winter Pumpkin
ǁhoba, Ghaap
In Hindi
चीनी कद्दू
Hoodia
In German
chinesisch Kürbis
Hoodia
In French
potiron chinois
Hoodia
In Spanish
calabaza china
Hoodia
In Greek
κινέζικο κολοκύθα
Hoodia
In Portuguese
abóbora chinês
Hoodia
In Polish
Chiński dyni
Hoodia
In Latin
Chinese cucurbita
Hoodia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Gentianales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Cucurbita
Hoodia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Cucurbiteae
Stapeliae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Asclepiadoideae
Number of Species
925
1
27800
👆🏻