Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Ilex glabra, Ilex crenata, Ilex verticillata
Lagenaria siceraria
Number of Varieties
32
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Lowland, Mountains, Subtropical climates, Suburban areas
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-95-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
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
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shape and thin as needed
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
Aphids
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
Insignificant
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
-
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
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
-
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Mixed Border, Wildflower
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
ILEX glabra
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
American Pokeweed, Inkberry, Silberstein American Pokeweed
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In Hindi
Inkberry
लौकी
In German
Inkberry
Flaschenkürbis
In French
Inkberry
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
Inkberry
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
Inkberry
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
Inkberry
Cabaça
In Polish
inkberry
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
Inkberry
utrem cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Aquifoliales
Cucurbitales
Family
Phytolaccaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Ilex
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
60027
1
27800
👆🏻