Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Mexico, Central America
Types
-
Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario
Number of Varieties
-3
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
Lowland, Tropical rainforest, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-711-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
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
H1, H2
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Dark Green
Gold, Burgundy, Dark Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Dark Green, Pink, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Dark Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Broad, Unlobed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut out old flower stalks, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune to stimulate growth, Prune twice a year, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, N-P-K balanced liquid fertilizer, Potassium
Ammonia sulphate, Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Army-worms, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cucumber mosaic, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Borers, Insects, Phytophthora, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
Shade areas, Wet Site
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
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
-
Allergy
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Diabetes, Diarrhea
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Glowing Skin, Moisturizing, Nourishes scalp
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Jaundice, Laxative, Leprosy, Weight loss
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, Asthma, Cancer, Cardiovascular problems, constipation, High cholestrol, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent
Employed in herbal medicine, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in making beverages
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
Trichosanthes cucumerina
THEOBROMA cacao
Common Name
snake gourd, serpent gourd, chichinda, padwal
Cacao, Chocolate, Cocoa
In Hindi
चिचिण्डा
कोको संयंत्र
In German
Schlangenhaargurke
Kakaopflanze
In French
Trichosanthes cucumerina
usine de cacao
In Spanish
snake gourd
planta del cacao
In Greek
φίδι κολοκύθα
φυτό του κακάο
In Portuguese
snake gourd
planta do cacau
In Polish
Gurdlina ogórkowata
Kakao roślin
In Latin
snake gourd
Cocos herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Malvales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Sterculiaceae
Genus
Coccinia
Theobroma
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Theobromeae
Subfamily
Papilionoideae
Byttneroideae
Number of Species
2722
1
27800
👆🏻