Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Type
Epiphyte
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
-
Lagenaria siceraria
Number of Varieties
32
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Swamps
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-135-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.60 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Burgundy, Dark Red, Light Green, Violet, Dark Salmon
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
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
Long Linear
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
-
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Bulbs, By dividing rhizomes, tubers, Divison
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Type
-
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Leaf rust, Red spider mite, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, pollinators
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
-
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bouquets, Showy Purposes
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Eye Problems
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Bulbs, Flowers, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
PROSTHECHEA cochleata
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
Clamshell Orchid, Cockleshell Orchid, Black Orchid
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In Hindi
Clamshell Orchid
लौकी
In German
Clamshell Orchid
Flaschenkürbis
In French
Clamshell Orchid
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
Clamshell Orchid
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
Encyclia Cochleata
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
Clamshell Orchid
Cabaça
In Polish
Clamshell Orchid
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
Clamshell Orchid
utrem cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Orchidales
Cucurbitales
Family
Orchidaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Prosthechea
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Epidendreae
-
Subfamily
Epidendroideae
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
5027
1
27800
👆🏻