Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Origin
Melanesia, Australia
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Umbrella plant
Amate
-
Habitat
gardens, Homesteads, Roadsides, Tropical regions, Woods
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
5-7
Sunset Zone
H1, 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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Red, Pink
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red, Purple
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Purple
-
Leaf Shape
Elliptic
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water occasionally
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
Red blotch
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
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Dermititis
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Asthma, Headache, Rheumatoid arthritis, Stomach pain
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Screening / Wind Break, Street Trees, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
SCHEFFLERA actinophylla
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Common Name
Octopus Tree
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
In Hindi
ऑक्टोपस पेड़
करेला
In German
Octopus tree
Bittermelone
In French
arbre Octopus
Momordica charantia
In Spanish
árbol pulpo
Momordica charantia
In Greek
χταπόδι δέντρο
-
In Portuguese
Octopus árvore
Momordica
In Polish
Ośmiornica drzewo
Przepękla ogórkowata
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Family
Araliaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Schefflera
Momordica
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
-
Subfamily
Aralioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Importance of Octopus Tree and Bitter Gourd
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Octopus Tree and Bitter Gourd. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Octopus Tree 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 Octopus Tree is Arthritis, Asthma, Headache, Rheumatoid arthritis and Stomach pain whereas of Bitter Gourd is Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders and Weight loss. Octopus Tree has beauty benefits as follows: while Bitter Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Octopus Tree 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 Octopus Tree 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 Octopus Tree are Dermititis 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. Octopus Tree has showy fruits and Bitter Gourd has showy fruits. Also Octopus Tree is not flowering and Bitter Gourd is not flowering . You can compare Octopus Tree and Bitter Gourd facts and facts of other plants too.