Family: Cucurbitaceae
Common name: Ivy gourd, Scarlet gourd, Tindora, Kowai fruit, Kovakka
Ivy gourd plants are seen very commonly in India, and the fruits are used extensively in Indian cuisine. The plants are excellent climbers, clinging on to garden structures, trellises or surrounding vegetation, growing very quickly.
Plant characteristics
Stem is long, green and woody towards the base of the plant; and capable of rooting at the nodes where it touches the ground.
The stem also produces long, thin, elastic tendrils that can twine around supporting structures. Leaves are dark-green with 5 lobes varying in shape from heart to polygon, about 7-8 cms in diameter.
Ivy gourd flowers are very beautiful, white, with 5 distinct petals that are joined at the base. Stamens are also clearly visible.
The plant is dioecious, and flowers contains only either male or female reproductive organs, not both. So they cannot self-pollinate and need birds, bees or butterflies to pollinate them.
The plant produces abundant fruits, green with whitish patterns running along the length of it. The fruits have several oval, flattened seeds embedded in the flesh.
There are several species of Ivy gourds varying in the size and shape of the fruits. Length usually varies from 5-15 cms depending on the type of ivy gourd.
Gardening tips
Ivy gourd plants can grow very easily from seeds, but make sure the plants don’t crowd together lest they struggle for sunlight and nutrition.
These plants need good, direct sunlight and well-drained soil. They are short-lived producing abundant flowers and fruits in season. So it is essential to water and fertilize them regularly.
Ivy gourd plants need some supporting structures like fences or trellises to climb up. If they spread on the ground, the vegetables might get ruined. So make sure they have a place to climb.
You can prune any extra long branch that tries to climb on the surrounding vegetation. Spray with neem oil or any other organic insecticide to keep pests at bay.
Uses of Ivy gourds
The plants grow abundantly in tropical countries, where the fruits are eaten raw or cooked. Leaves and tender shoots are also used as food. Fruits taste best when they are tender and light green. The inner pulp is white in tender fruits, gradually turning red when it ripens.
Ivy gourd fruits are cooked, fried, braised, grilled, steamed, sautéed, pickled or eaten raw. They have a mild taste with a sticky texture to the skin.
Due to their rampant and fast growth, these plants are considered invasive weeds in some parts of the world, where biological and chemicals methods are being tried to eradicate these sturdy little plants. But in India, these plants are cultivated very commonly, and the fruits are available in all vegetable shops as well as supermarkets.
Ivy gourd fruits have some medicinal properties, in treatment of diabetes, hypertension, constipation, eczema, psoriasis, fever, leprosy, asthma, cough, bronchitis, joint pains, scabies and other skin ailments. They also aid in weight loss, and is available as supplements, which should be used with caution.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds and stem cuttings.
Seeds taken from mature fruits can be sun-dried and then planted in moist soil to germinate. These plants grow really quickly, producing flowers and fruits in no time.
Photographed at: Koonammavu and Thrissur, Kerala
