Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9
5-7
Sunset Zone
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
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
Yellow, Brown
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
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
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Cut out old flower stalks, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Nitrogen, N-P-K balanced liquid fertilizer, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Army-worms, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cucumber mosaic, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
-
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Asthma
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Glowing Skin, Moisturizing, Nourishes scalp
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Food for animals
Medicinal Uses
-
Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Jaundice, Laxative, Leprosy, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
Trichosanthes cucumerina
Common Name
River Birch
snake gourd, serpent gourd, chichinda, padwal
In Hindi
River Birch
चिचिण्डा
In German
Fluss Birch
Schlangenhaargurke
In French
Birch river
Trichosanthes cucumerina
In Spanish
river Birch
snake gourd
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
φίδι κολοκύθα
In Portuguese
river Birch
snake gourd
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Gurdlina ogórkowata
In Latin
Betula
snake gourd
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Cucurbitales
Family
Betulaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
-
Papilionoideae
Importance of River Birch and Snake Gourd
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of River Birch and Snake Gourd. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare River Birch and Snake 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 River Birch is whereas of Snake Gourd is Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Jaundice, Laxative, Leprosy and Weight loss. River Birch has beauty benefits as follows: while Snake Gourd has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of River Birch vs Snake 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 River Birch vs Snake 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 River Birch are Asthma whereas of Snake 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. River Birch has no showy fruits and Snake Gourd has showy fruits. Also River Birch is not flowering and Snake Gourd is not flowering . You can compare River Birch and Snake Gourd facts and facts of other plants too.