Figleaf gourd

Cucurbita ficifolia Bouche

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Pet & Human Safety

People: Not researchedPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Human edibility

Edible

Edible parts

fruit (cooked, or made into jam), leaves, stems

Hazardous parts

Not yet checked.

Preparation

NC State: fruit cooked or made into jam; no times or temperatures read.

Hazard type

Not yet checked.

Hazard route

Not yet checked.

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

Not assessed for pets. ASPCA has two species pages for this plant (Fig Leaf Gourd and Malabar Gourd), and NC State tags the species page with no text. under the pet-safety rule an ASPCA page plus a bare NC State tag is not two independent sources, so no pet verdict is shown.

Look-alike warning

Could be mistaken for Plants that share its name. To tell them apart: 'Chilacayote', 'gourd' and 'melon' are loose names; 'seven year melon' and 'Malabar gourd' are NC State names for this plant, and 'Malabar spinach' is a different vine..

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones: USDA 9a to 11b (NC State); not cold tolerant
Water needs: Prefers moist to wet soil conditions (NC State)
Mature size: No source found yet. Spacing: NC State: available space 12 inches to 3 feet; points to a planting calendar with spacing (not read).

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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