Thursday, April 18, 2013

Cucurbita ficifolia


Cucurbita ficifolia is a plant notable for its edible fruit, seeds and leaves. It has a large variety of common names that includes chilacayote, Asian pumpkin, Thai marrow, Siam pumpkin, pie melon, Malabar gourd, shark fin melon, golden string melon, alcayota, sambo and cayote.

It is a plant that is easy to grow and in the right conditions can grow up to 15m tall. It is best to sow the seeds of the plant during autumn and spring and parts of the plant can be harvested all year round. Interestingly, this plant can live indefinitely in warm climates but as an annual in temperate climates. It typically needs full sun, but in warmer areas it will require an afternoon shade. It has a poor resistance to frost, but once established it can tolerate short overnight frosts that may occur. 

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