Bottle Gourd

Lagenaria siceraria (lag-en-AR-ee-uh sy-ker-AR-ee-uh)

Family: Cucurbitaceae Non-native Vine (vertical)

Bottle gourd (also known as calabash) is an annual vegetable, climbing vine and a member of the cucumber family that is widely cultivated for its interestingly shaped fruits. The large white flowers open at night and fruit set is enhanced by hand pollination. Seeds, leaves, flowers, and young stems are all edible. The genus name derives from the Greek word, lagenos, for vase or flask . Bottle gourd does best in sandy or loamy, well-drained, soil in full sun and will tolerate hot, humid summers. Direct seed outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and the ground temperature reaches 70 degrees F. Plant several seeds in mounds 3 feet apart if growing on supports or 4 to 6 feet apart is the vine will trail on the ground. Provide consistent moisture. The plants grow from seed quickly, but require a long hot summer to mature. Harvest the fruit when the skin has hardened. If the gourds are intended for ornamental purposes, provide support structures for the vines to keep the fruit from touching the ground. The hard shells of mature fruits are waterproof and they can be dried and used for containers, musical instruments or ornamental decoration. The vines, with their showy flowers and dense foliage, can also be used as a screen. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Potential insect problems include aphids, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, stink bugs, cutworms, pickleworm and squash vine borers. Potential disease problems include anthracnose, fusarium wilt, bacterial wilt, downy mildew, powdery mildew and blights.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 60 attributes.