Trichosanthes anguina Seeds | Snake Gourd
LATIN NAME: Trichosanthes anguina
COMMON NAME: Snake Gourd
Plant Profile
Trichosanthes anguina, better known as Snake Gourd, is a vigorous, climbing, annual in the gourd family. Snake gourd is serpent of vegetable garden, and long, twisted fruits hang from trellis like green snakes of old tale. Young fruits have a long record as fine, tender green of warm kitchens, and plant is a fine, curious presence of warm garden. It is a plant of open, sunny, deep, rich, well-drained ground. During flowering it gives bees and other insects a dependable food source. Add these qualities together and you have a species well worth a place in the garden.
Science & Biotechnology
Research touching on Trichosanthes anguina ranges from the botany of the gourd family to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. Its behaviour in gardens is well recorded, thanks to a long history in cultivation.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Snake Gourd for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Snake gourd is a fine, curious plant of warm vegetable garden. Young fruits slice into stir-fries and curries of warm kitchens. Once settled, it thrives on neglect more than on fussing.
Trichosanthes gives two major herbs: the root, Tian Hua Fen, for fluids and heat, and the fruit, Gua Lou, for phlegm and chest fullness; its snake gourds are also a striking ornamental vegetable.
Growing from Seed
Starting Snake Gourd from seed is simple and satisfying. Use a fine, free-draining seed compost, scatter the seed evenly, cover it lightly and hold it just moist in good light. Prick the seedlings out once they are large enough to handle, grow them on in bright light, and plant out when conditions allow.
Our Take
Snake Gourd has real presence in the garden without demanding much in return. Within its genus it stands out for garden reliability. Keep the sowing evenly moist at the start — that is the one real requirement.
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