Plant · GBIF taxon 2874564
Ivy gourd
Coccinia grandisAlso known as Scarlet Gourd, Tindora, Kowai Fruit, Baby Watermelon
Ivy gourd is a fast-growing perennial vine that climbs aggressively using slender, unbranched tendrils to cover trees, shrubs, and structures. Its smooth, glossy leaves feature five distinct lobes resembling ivy, while solitary star-shaped white blossoms give way to oblong fruits that ripen from green with white stripes to vivid scarlet. In regions where it has been introduced, this vigorous vine forms dense, smothering mats that block sunlight from underlying native vegetation.
Climbing VineScarlet FruitTropical
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Gourd Fruit Flies
- Defoliating Beetles
- Spider Mites
ThreatsTargeted herbicide applications, biological control insects, physical clearing
HabitatsTropical forests, disturbed ground, thickets, agricultural areas
Life spanPerennial
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderCucurbitales
- FamilyCucurbitaceae
- GenusCoccinia
- SpeciesCoccinia grandis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Wild fruits have toxic look-alikes and wild vines contain bitter toxins; never eat wild plants based on app identification.
Responsible observation
- Identifying features: Look for white five-lobed flowers and ivy-shaped leaves with glands near the stalk base.
- Monitoring growth: Observe fence lines and canopies in humid tropical regions where vines spread quickly.
- Habitat spotting: Search sunny disturbed soils, forest margins, and roadside thickets.
Look-Alike Vine (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Cucurbit Relative (c) Bernard DUPONT, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Cucurbit Relative (c) Bff, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Family Member (c) John P Friel, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.