Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Origin
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia
North America, Mexico, Central America
Habitat
Woodlands
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-12
5-7
Sunset Zone
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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
White
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Green, Gray Green
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Leaf Shape
Maple shaped
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
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
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Water daily during growing season
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Moderate
Lots of watering
In Spring
Less Watering
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Insects
Aphids, Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Nausea, Vomiting
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden
-
Beauty Benefits
For treating wrinkles, Moisturizing, used as a dye
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
Edible Uses
Sometimes
Yes
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
Cramps, Dermatitis
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Sauces, Used as firewood
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
ALEURITES moluccanus
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Common Name
Candleberry, Candlenut, Kukui
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
In Hindi
Aleurites moluccanus
करेला
In German
Lichtnussbaum
Bittermelone
In French
Aleurites moluccana
Momordica charantia
In Spanish
Aleurites moluccanus
Momordica charantia
In Greek
Aleurites moluccanus
-
In Portuguese
Nogueira-de-iguape
Momordica
In Polish
Nogueira-de-iguape
Przepękla ogórkowata
In Latin
Aleurites moluccanus
-
Phylum
Angiosperms
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Euphorbiales
Violales
Family
Euphorbiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Aleurites
Momordica
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Subfamily
Crotonoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Importance of Kukui and Bitter Gourd
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Kukui and Bitter Gourd. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Kukui and Bitter 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 Kukui is Cramps and Dermatitis whereas of Bitter Gourd is Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders and Weight loss. Kukui has beauty benefits as follows: For treating wrinkles, Moisturizing and used as a dye while Bitter Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: For treating wrinkles, Moisturizing and used as a dye.
Compare Facts of Kukui vs Bitter 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 Kukui vs Bitter 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 Kukui are Nausea and Vomiting whereas of Bitter Gourd have Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm and Miscarriage respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Kukui has showy fruits and Bitter Gourd has showy fruits. Also Kukui is not flowering and Bitter Gourd is not flowering . You can compare Kukui and Bitter Gourd facts and facts of other plants too.