Bottle gourd (lauki)

Lagenaria siceraria

A fast monsoon vine; pick the gourds young and tender.

Type: vine · annual vegetables, herbs and grains
Hardiness: zones 6 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 15 ft tall, 4 ft wide
Harvest: July to October
From: Africa and Asia
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.

Good for: food, pollinators.

Native to: South & Southeast Asian tropics, African savannas & tropics. Hardy in zones 6 to 12.

The story

The bottle gourd was the first plant domesticated on two continents at once, carried from Africa to Asia and the Americas 10,000 years ago as a container before it was a food; Indian cooks make lauki kofta and halwa, and the dried shell is still the sitar's resonator.

Planting

Full sun, rich moist soil, heat, and a trellis or arbor to hang from; sow seed after frost, an inch deep. The vine runs 15 feet.

Growing

Water and feed generously; it is a hungry vine. Hand-pollinate the night-opening white flowers if fruit fails to set.

Harvest and use

Pick young at 8 to 12 inches when the skin is tender and downy; cook like zucchini. Leave a few to mature and dry for containers.

What to watch for

Fruit fly, cucumber beetles, and powdery mildew.

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More annual vegetables, herbs and grains

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home