Lagenaria siceraria

Birdhouse Gourd

Hard-shelled gourd, a type of tropical squash, this is a very versatile and fun plant to grow in your garden. Hard-shelled gourds have been cultivated for over 9,000 years ! They were the first non-food plant grown on a large scale, transformed into bowls, drinking vessels, utensils, musical instruments, and much more. These gourds, as the name suggests, are commonly used to make environmentally friendly, entirely compostable birdhouses that might last a season or two. I’ve turned them into bowls, planters, and I’m excited to keep on exploring the creative possibilities. There is so much history associated with gourds and their cultural importance all over the world, I highly recommend reading up on it, it’s fascinating.

Birdhouse gourds are beautiful vining plants with white-coloured flowers, and they will climb walls with a little trellis help. When young the gourd will be light green - they are ready for harvest when the skin starts to brown. They will not tolerate frost. 

Also known as bottle gourd. 

110 days to maturity. 

15 seeds per pack. 

Seed starting:

Start indoors 3 to 4 weeks before last frost. Sow one inch deep - they like warm soil to germinate. Transplant outside once the soil is warmed, after all danger of frost. You can also directly seed them in your garden once the soil is warm. They will not tolerate frost. Space plants 5ft apart for vining types, and 3 ft apart for bush types.