Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Hoodia albispina, Hoodia flava, Hoodia bainii
-
Number of Varieties
2520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Pink, Tan
Yellow, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow
Leaf Color in Spring
Blue Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Blue Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Blue Green, Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
-
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very 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
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
Do not water frequently
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Once a week
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
Full Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages
Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
No fertilizers needed
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Borers, Cucumber beetles, Mealybugs, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas
Drought
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
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Flies, Insects
-
Allergy
Dry Mouth
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Weightloss
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for insects
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Weight loss
-
Part of Plant Used
Stem
Fruits
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as a nutritious food item, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Hoodia gordonii
CUCURBITA pepo 'Papaya Pear'
Common Name
ǁhoba, Ghaap
Summer Squash
In Hindi
Hoodia
summer squash
In German
Hoodia
Sommerkürbis
In French
Hoodia
courges d'été
In Spanish
Hoodia
calabaza de verano
In Greek
Hoodia
καλοκαίρι σκουός
In Portuguese
Hoodia
abobrinha
In Polish
Hoodia
latem squash
In Latin
Hoodia
aestas cucurbitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Violales
Family
Apocynaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Hoodia
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Stapeliae
Cucurbiteae
Subfamily
Asclepiadoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
255
1
27800
👆🏻