C. colocynthis is a desert viney plant that grows in sandy, arid soils. It resembles the watermelon, which is in the same genus. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia. The fruit is smooth, spheric with a 5– to 10-cm-diameter and extremely bitter taste. The calyx englobe the yellow-green fruit which becomes marble (yellow stripes) at maturity.
Bitter Apple Care
Citrullus Colocynthis
What is the plant
The seeds of colocynth, which must be heated to make edible, have been used since antiquity as a food source in areas of the Sahara. Invasive in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and Victoria.
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Humidity
Normal
Lighting
Full Sun
Temperature
23°C - 40°C
Hardiness zone
10 - 12
Difficulty
Medium
Hibernation
Cold Period
Toxicity
Poisonous
How to Care for the Plant
Water
When spring arrives, the plant’s only demand is moist soil. Water the plants deeply and thoroughly when rainfall is less than 2 inches per week. Keep up the watering schedule as long as the plant is growing.
Pruning
No pruning required.
Fertilizer
Sprinkle a small amount of bulb fertilizer over the compost before digging it deep into the soil.
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Temperature
It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 23 - 32°c, but can tolerate 14 - 40°c [418 ]. Mature growth can be killed by temperatures of -5°c or lower, but young growth is severely damaged at 0°c [418 ].
Additional
Solanum aculeastrum is commonly known as soda apple, sodaapple nightshade, goat apple, poison apple, or more ambiguously as "bitter-apple". It is a poisonous nightshade species from Africa and not related to true apples.
Popularity
31 people already have this plant 7 people have added this plant to their wishlists
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