Momordica charantia
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- mo-MOR-dih-kah kar-AN-tee-ah
- This plant has medium severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
Momordica charantia is a vigorous, tendril-bearing, frost tender, annual vine of the cucumber family that will grow rapidly to 12-20’ long in a single growing season. Plants are generally grown like cucumbers. Start seed indoors (best in peat pots which decompose in the soil because seedlings dislike being transplanted) about 4 weeks prior to last spring frost date. Best on a trellis.
Red mature fruit and seeds are toxic and should not be eaten.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Momordica
- Species:
- charantia
- Family:
- Cucurbitaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Plants have a long history of use as a vegetable and an herbal medicine.
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Tropical & Subtropical Old World
- Climbing Method:
- Tendrils
- Edibility:
- Young fruits (green or early yellow colored) are a popular vegetable consumed in some countries. Leafy shoot tips are often used as salad greens.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Edible
- Poisonous
- Vine
- Habit/Form:
- Climbing
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Appendage:
- Tendrils
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- NC Region:
- Coastal
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Description:
- Ripe berry is yellow-orange, warty, with red pulp around seeds. Edible when still green, but poisonous once ripe.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Tubular yellow flowers
-
-
Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate, foul-smelling, deeply palmately lobed
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Vertical Spaces
- Landscape Theme:
- Edible Garden
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
- Weedy
-
-
Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Medium
- Poison Symptoms:
- TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. Ripe fruits, fruit coats, and seeds cause headache, salivation, facial redness, pupil dilation, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscular weakness.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Resin, saponic glycoside, and alkaloids
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Fruits
- Seeds
