How to Identify Young Bitter Melon Plants
The bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd and balsam pear, is grown for its extremely bitter fruit. This gourd flourishes in tropical climates, and in areas such as Asia and India the bitter melon plant is often eaten with yogurt or potatoes to balance out the bitter taste. It can also be stuffed with spices and fried or steamed, be used in stir fries, soups or teas. There are 19 different bitter melon varieties as listed by the National Bitter Melon Council, but all share some common characteristics useful in identifying a young bitter melon plant. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Look for the fruit of the plant first. This is the easiest way to identify a plant, but it may not be visible on a young plant. Fruit may start appearing between 2 and 4 months from the start of the plant's growth. Most bitter melon fruits are long and cucumber-like in shape, white or light green to dark green in color and textured with a wart-like, bumpy surface.
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Look for flowers on the vines. One plant can grow dozens of little yellow flowers that will ordinarily appear within 5 to 6 weeks after the start of the plant's growth. These flowers have five rounded petals that stand out brightly against the large, dark green leaves on the vines.
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Observe the vines and leaves of the plant you suspect to be a bitter melon plant. These vines like to grow big and will wind themselves around anything they come into contact with or just sprawl on the ground if there is nothing to climb. The vines will grow up to 20 to 30 feet. The leaves are large (1 to 6 inches across), lobed (with three to seven lobed sections) and are deeply veined.
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Smell the air around the plant. Does it smell extra bitter in addition to the regularly earthy smell around vine-bearing plants? Bitter melon plants often exude a slightly bitter smell into the air.
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Consult an experienced gardener or guide book to garden plants in your area if you are trying to identify a bitter melon plant and need a second opinion. If you are in a region that receives many frosts, it is unlikely to be a bitter melon plant but may be the vine of another gourd--the fruit ultimately will tell.
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- Photo Credit Gastronomy Blog
