Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, China
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Tropical Fruit Tree
Lagenaria siceraria
Habitat
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
5-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Spreading
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Ivory
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Yellow green, Brown
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Leaf Shape
Oblong or Lanceolate
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
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 Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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 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
Remove dead branches
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Put diluted fertilizers
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
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
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
-
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
-
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
DILLENIA indica
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
Chulta, Elephant Apple
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In Hindi
Elephant Apple
लौकी
In German
Elefant von Apple
Flaschenkürbis
In French
Elephant d'Apple
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
El elefante de Apple
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
ελέφαντας της Apple
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
Elefante da Apple
Cabaça
In Polish
Słoń Jabłko
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
Elephant Apple
utrem cucurbita
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Dilleniales
Cucurbitales
Family
Dilleniaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
-
Papilionoideae
Importance of Elephant Apple and Bottle Gourd
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Elephant Apple and Bottle Gourd. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Elephant Apple and Bottle Gourd as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Elephant Apple is Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent and Expectorant whereas of Bottle Gourd is Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive and Weight loss. Elephant Apple has beauty benefits as follows: while Bottle Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Elephant Apple vs Bottle Gourd
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Elephant Apple vs Bottle Gourd and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Elephant Apple are whereas of Bottle Gourd have Hypoglycaemic Coma and Irregular Heart Rhythm respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Elephant Apple has showy fruits and Bottle Gourd has showy fruits. Also Elephant Apple is not flowering and Bottle Gourd is not flowering . You can compare Elephant Apple and Bottle Gourd facts and facts of other plants too.