How to Grow and Care for Trichosanthes

This perennial plant is a climbing species that grows wild in bushlands, fields, and forest edges in China, Mongolia, and Vietnam. Chinese cucumber fruit is edible, and often pickled, and the leaves and roots can be processed and cooked. Oil expressed from the seeds can be burned in lamps.

The japanese snake gourd is a tropical vine grown for its elongated fruit. It is eaten raw as a vegetable in Asia, and the mature scarlet pulp of this plant is used as a tomato substitute. When dried, the fruit can also be utilized to make soap.

Snake gourd is so-named because this climbing plant grows elongated snake-like gourds that can grow up to 2 m long. These gourds are harvested when young and eaten both cooked and raw. A pulp forms around the seeds inside the mature gourds which is used as a tart ingredient in curries. The shoots and leaves of the plant are also eaten.

Snake gourd is a unique climbing vine known for its serpentine fruit, which is elongated and distinctly ribbed, resembling a snake. The delicate tendrils and broad, heart-shaped leaves thrive in warm, humid climates, often intertwining with nearby foliage to reach sunlight. Its attractive white flowers unfurl at night, suggesting adaptation to nocturnal pollinators.

Trichosanthes laceribractea grows in dense forests or valleys. As a vine, it can climb upward on other trees or rocks, producing white flowers with fringes that can be easily recognized. After the flowers wither in late autumn, it produces small green fruits with white spots. When the fruit ripens, it turns into large red oval-shaped fruits that are always consumed by some wild animals.