Lagenaria siceraria

RHS Plant Profile
white-flowered gourd

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white-flowered gourd visionspictures.com
white-flowered gourd visionspictures.com
white-flowered gourd visionspictures.com

Other common names

calabash cucumber, calabash gourd, common bottle gourd, dudi

Annual Biennial Climber Wall Shrub Conservatory Greenhouse

A vigorous, annual climber to around 9m in height with attractive tropical, heart-shaped green foliage. Long, green bottle-shaped gourds appear in summer and autumn and are used for ornamental purposes only. Best when grown up a wall or trellis to avoid the fruits becoming flattened on the ground. The gourds can also be made into attractive bird houses when dried - just drill an access hole and a couple of drainage holes in them

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Size

Time to Maturity
1 year

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H2

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Cucurbitaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Climbing
Potentially harmful
Humans/Pets: TOXIC if eatenfruit intended for decoration only. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Name Status
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in rich, fertile, well drained soil in full sun. Start indoors from mid-late April, sowing in individual pots with seeds on their side about 1.5cm deep. Harden off before June then transplant outdoors to final growing position. Provide support such as a trellis or fence as the fruit may become flat on one side if left on the ground . See squash cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Sub-tropical
  • Climber and wall shrubs
  • Conservatory and greenhouse
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Remove dead or damaged leaves and thin crowded vines. To encourage more fruit production, you can prune the main vine which will encourage lateral growth for fruit

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs, snails, aphids and glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, downy mildews and cucumber mosaic virus