Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Central America
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
50-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Loamy soils, Warmer regions
Loamy soils, Moist Soils, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-155-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Spreading
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Fuchsia
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
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
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval Cordate
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions, Soil Compaction, Sun
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Do not water the foliage
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
A hard prune may be necessary if the plant becomes woody, Cut upper 1/3 section when young to enhancegrowth
Cut out old flower stalks, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Fertilize every three months
Nitrogen, N-P-K balanced liquid fertilizer, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria, Birds, Fungal Diseases, Red blotch
Army-worms, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cucumber mosaic, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Red spider mite
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Beetles, Bugs, Insects
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Acidic, allergic conjunctivitis
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm, Miscarriage
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Hanging Basket, Landscape Designing
-
Beauty Benefits
Makes Hair Silkier, Making cosmetics
Glowing Skin, Moisturizing, Nourishes scalp
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Forms dense stands, Provides ground cover, soil stabilisation
Food for animals
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Jaundice, Laxative, Leprosy, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Stem
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Air freshner, Cosmetics, Showy Purposes
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
HETEROCENTRON elegans
Trichosanthes cucumerina
Common Name
Spanish Shawl
snake gourd, serpent gourd, chichinda, padwal
In Hindi
Heterocentron
चिचिण्डा
In German
Heterocentron
Schlangenhaargurke
In French
Heterocentron
Trichosanthes cucumerina
In Spanish
Heterocentron
snake gourd
In Greek
Heterocentron
φίδι κολοκύθα
In Portuguese
Heterocentron
snake gourd
In Polish
Heterocentron
Gurdlina ogórkowata
In Latin
Heterocentron
snake gourd
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Cucurbitales
Family
Melastomataceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Heterocentron
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Abreae
-
Subfamily
-
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
20027
1
27800
👆🏻