Momordica cochinchinensis Seeds | Gac
LATIN NAME: Momordica cochinchinensis
COMMON NAME: Gac
Plant Profile
Momordica cochinchinensis, commonly known as Gac, is a fine, easy, generous vine in the gourd family. Gac is spiny, orange-red fruit of warm regions, with brilliant red pulp. Within, fine, orange-red pulp around dark seeds is one of richest of warm-climate fruits, prized in kitchens of the East for colour and fine, mild taste. It is a fine, easy, generous vine of warm, sunny garden and the trellis. Its open flowers are a reliable stop for bees and other pollinating visitors. All of this makes Gac a satisfying plant to grow and to get to know.
Science & Biotechnology
Momordica cochinchinensis sits in the gourd family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Gac has carved a quiet but solid place in plant science, and vine has been studied for big, spiny fruits and brilliant red pulp within. Gardeners benefit directly from its long cultivation: what the plant will do in a garden is well understood.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Gac has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Gac does a lot of work in kitchen and the garden. Brilliant orange-red pulp is prized in kitchens of the East for colour and fine, mild taste, used in rice, soups and sweets, and big, spiny fruits are among the most striking of the warm-climate crops. Vigorous vine is also an easy, generous cover for trellis and the fence. Getting it going is easy; keeping it going is easier still.
Bitter melon is a staple vegetable across Asia and a famous folk herb for blood-sugar balance; its charantin and polypeptide compounds are widely studied, and the ripe red arils are sweet and edible while the seeds are not.
Growing from Seed
Seed is the natural starting point for Gac, and the process is uncomplicated. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
Given the right start, Gac is a long-term garden companion. Sun and good drainage cover most of its demands.
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