CALABASH

The calabash plant in my school Fruit Garden is fruiting. This is the second season that we are planting the calabash or wu lou. The calabash can be eaten and it can also be made into a water gourd. There is a special exhibit in my school for the calabash.

Here is some information about the calabash:

Common names: Calabash, Water Gourd, Wu Lou, hulu

Scientific name: Lagenaria siceraria

Description

The calabash or bottle gourd is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe.

Uses

• used in both western and eastern cuisine.
• the gourd can be dried out and used to smoke pipe tobacco.
• used as a utensils, such as a cups, bowls, and basins.
• the wu lou is believed to absorb negative earth-based qi (energy) that would otherwise affect health and is a traditional Chinese medicine cure.
• to the Chinese it is a symbol of good fortune and longevity and is used as a feng shui cure.
• calabash leaves eaten to treat insomnia.
• the shoots, tendrils, and leaves of the plant may also be eaten as greens.

References:

http://www.holyrudraksha.com/feng-shui/feng-shui-for-health/calabash/prod_347.html

http://www.arubaplaza.com/enc/arubaplaza_encyclopedia.php?group=2&record=31

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabash