Bottle Gourd (Calabash) SEEDS – Heirloom & Untreated – Lagenaria siceraria – Nutritious, Versatile & Easy to Grow!
Grow one of the world’s oldest and most versatile cultivated plants with these heirloom, untreated Bottle Gourd seeds (Lagenaria siceraria), also known as Calabash, White‑flowered Gourd, or Long Melon. This fast‑growing, vigorous climbing vine has been cherished for thousands of years across Asia, Africa, and the Americas – not only as a nutritious food source but also for its incredible versatility in crafts, utensils, and traditional medicine.
Bottle Gourd is an annual climbing plant that produces large, smooth‑skinned fruits in a variety of shapes – from rounded and bottle‑shaped to dumbbell and long, slender forms. The vine can grow up to 6–9 metres in a single season, producing high yields of fruit that can be harvested young for eating or left to mature and dry for craft projects. It thrives outdoors in warm climates and can also be grown on a sturdy trellis or fence in large pots, making it accessible to gardeners across Australia.
Uses:
Edible Young Fruit: Harvest when tender and immature (10–15 cm long) for use in curries, stir‑fries, soups, stews, and dals. The mild, slightly sweet flesh absorbs flavours beautifully.
Dried Gourds for Crafts: Allow mature fruits to dry completely to create birdhouses, bowls, water containers, musical instruments, and decorative art pieces.
Nutritious Leaves & Shoots: The young leaves and shoots are also edible and can be cooked as a leafy green vegetable.
Traditional Medicine: Used across many cultures for its therapeutic properties (see below).
Ornamental: The fast‑growing vine with large, lush leaves and white flowers makes a stunning natural screen or shade provider for patios and pergolas.
Nutrients & Health Benefits:
Bottle Gourd is a highly nutritious vegetable with an impressive range of health benefits. It is low in calories (only about 12–15 kcal per 100g) while being packed with essential nutrients:
Rich in Vitamins & Minerals: An excellent source of vitamin C (10–12 mg/100g), potassium (170–200 mg/100g), and calcium (20–25 mg/100g).
High in Dietary Fibre: Supports healthy digestion, promotes regular bowel movements, and helps maintain stable blood sugar levels.
Good Source of Protein & Carbohydrates: Contains 0.6–1.2% protein and 2.5–3.9% carbohydrates.
Antioxidant & Anti‑inflammatory: Rich in bioactive compounds including phenolic acids, flavonoids, cucurbitacins, and triterpenoids with potent antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activities.
Bioactive Compounds: Contains cucurbitacins and triterpenoids known for their anti‑inflammatory and antibacterial properties. The seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega‑3 (6.63%) and omega‑6 (69.74%), which support cardiovascular health.
Traditional Uses: In Ayurveda and other traditional medicine systems, bottle gourd has been used to treat jaundice, diabetes, ulcers, piles, colitis, hypertension, congestive cardiac failure, skin diseases, rheumatism, and insomnia. It is also valued as a cardioprotective, diuretic, laxative, and general tonic.
Note: Always do your own research before using any plant medicinally. The information provided is for educational purposes only.
Growing & Sowing Tips:
Bottle Gourd is remarkably easy to grow and produces abundant harvests with basic care. Follow these steps for the best results:
Prepare seeds: To speed up germination, soak seeds overnight in water before sowing.
Start indoors (recommended for cooler climates): In shorter growing seasons, start seeds indoors in peat pots 3–4 weeks before the last frost.
Direct sowing: For direct sowing, wait until the soil warms to at least 20–22°C, then plant 5 seeds per hill, about 2–3 cm deep, with 1.5 metre spacing between hills. Later, thin to the strongest plant.
Sun & position: Requires full sun – at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily for vigorous growth and heavy fruiting.
Soil: Prefers rich, well‑draining soil with plenty of organic matter. It tolerates a wide range of soil types but performs best in fertile, moisture‑retentive ground.
Support: Provide a sturdy trellis, fence, or arbour for the vine to climb. This keeps fruit off the ground, reduces rot, and produces better‑shaped gourds.
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, especially during flowering and fruit development.
Fertilising: Apply compost or well‑rotted manure at planting time. Feed with a balanced organic fertiliser every 4–6 weeks during the growing season.
Harvesting: For eating, harvest fruit when young and tender (about 10–15 cm long). For crafts, allow fruit to mature fully on the vine until the stem and leaves wither and turn brown. Cut the gourd, leaving about 5 cm of stem, wash with a vinegar solution, and dry in a warm, well‑ventilated area. Once completely dry, the gourd becomes lightweight and seeds will rattle inside.
Seed Details:
Price: For 5 seeds, naturally grown in my permaculture food forest in Pacific Haven, QLD Australia.
Quality: Heirloom, untreated, open‑pollinated.
Shipping & Important Notes:
Sending to: Australia only, excluding Norfolk Island, NT, SA, TAS, and WA.
Pickup: Available by appointment from Pacific Haven, QLD.
Please Note: The young fruit is edible when cooked and delicious, but mature, dried gourds are not edible – they are used for crafts and utensils. Do your own research before trying any new foods. Also refer to our full disclaimer in the footer of this page.
