Bitter melon
Momordica charantia
Also called Bitter gourd, Karela and Bitter squash
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitIt wants a greenhouse in Britain and a trellis anywhere — the vine climbs three metres. Pick the fruit green and warty; left on, it splits open orange to show scarlet seeds, which is beautiful and no longer dinner.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Hard
- Water
- Every 2 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun, under cover in a cool climate
- Feed
- Every 10 days
- Humidity
- High
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out for the summer RHS H1C, to 5°C
- Size
- 3 m tall · 1 m across
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Origin
- Tropical Asia and Africa
Is it safe for pets and people?
No animal-poison authority lists this plant. Flagged unsafe on a people-toxicity source, which is the cautious reading rather than a checked one.
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-21. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.