Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
North America, South America, Brazil
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Peanut cactus
Lagenaria siceraria
Number of Varieties
1282
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Sandy areas, Semi desert
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-155-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 16, 17, 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
30.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Orange, Rose
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange Red
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
Requires watering in the growing season, water on alternate days
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, fertilize in summer, Potassium
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Scale
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, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil
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
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Skin cuts
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Versatility, Very little waste
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Heals minor burns, Heart problems, High blood pressure, Wounds
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
ECHINOPSIS
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
Hedgehog Cactus, Sea urchin cactus
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In Hindi
हाथी कैक्टस
लौकी
In German
Igel Kaktus
Flaschenkürbis
In French
hérisson cactus
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
cactus de erizo
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
κάκτος σκαντζόχοιρος
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
hedgehog cactus
Cabaça
In Polish
jeż kaktus
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
cactus
utrem cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cactaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Echinopsis
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Trichocereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
200027
1
27800
👆🏻