Japanese snake gourd is a climbing vine from Japan, China, Taiwan, and India whose white flowers open only after dark, with petal edges split into a lacy fringe of threads. By fall, female plants bear oval to round gourds about 2–2¾ in (5–7 cm) long that ripen orange to red. It isn't native to the US.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A perennial climbing vine with tendrils and thick roots. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants.
- Leaves
- Leaves typically 4–6 in (10–16 cm) long and wide, egg-shaped to triangular, shallowly cut into 3–5 lobes and covered in short hairs.
- Flowers
- White flowers with long, thread-like fringes open after sunset and close before sunrise. The very long flower tube suggests that long-tongued hawk moths are the pollinators.
- Fruit
- A smooth, oval to round berry about 2–2¾ in (5–7 cm) long with a pointed tip, turning orange to red in fall. Only female plants bear fruit.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Forest edges
- Thickets
- Range
- Native to Japan, China, Taiwan, and India; it was first recorded in South Korea in 2020.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- The brown to dark brown seeds have an odd shape, with a swollen center and two empty side chambers.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Some references lump this vine into a broader species, Trichosanthes pilosa. The name "Japanese snake gourd" is also used for other Trichosanthes species, so it doesn't always mean this one.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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