Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
-
Number of Varieties
2080
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-155-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
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
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Apply 8-4-6 amount
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Apply 12-12-12 amounts, Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
-
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
Flowers
Showy
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
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Rash
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Acne, For treating wrinkles, Improve hair condition, Nourishes scalp, Removes dandruff
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Anti-fungal, Detoxification, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Fruits
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Cosmetics, Repellent, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
CUCURBITA pepo 'Bicolor Pear'
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Bicolor Pear Gourd, Ornamental Gourd
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
करेला
In German
Shell Ginger
Bittermelone
In French
Shell Ginger
Momordica charantia
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
Momordica charantia
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
-
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
Momordica
In Polish
Shell Imbir
Przepękla ogórkowata
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
-
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Violales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Momordica
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
-
Tribe
Alpinieae
-
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
15080
1
27800
👆🏻