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Benincasa hispida
Also called Waxgourd, Winter Melon, Ash Gourd, White Gourd, Chinese Preserving Melon, Chinese Watermelon, Ash Pumpkin
Wax gourd is a vining annual squash-type plant grown for its very large, waxy-skinned fruit, which is eaten as a vegetable when mature. Key to success is a long warm season, constant moisture, and protection from frost.
Benincasa hispida, the wax gourd, also called ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, winter melon, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin, dongah or Chinese preserving melon, is a species of gourd.
The wax gourd is native to South and Southeast Asia. It is grown, especially in Asia, for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. One variety of the plant, called chi qua (Benincasa hispida var. chieh-qua), is commonly used in Asian cuisine.
It is grown in well-drained loam and sandy soils in warm, mild climates, and will not tolerate frosts. It is grown in riverbeds or furrows, and needs constant irrigation during the growing season.
The wax gourd is native to South and Southeast Asia. It is widely grown throughout Asia, including Java and Japan, the places where it is thought to have originated.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Wax gourd by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
