Last edited on 2 Nov 2026. View history

Ngāpuhi Gourd

Lagenaria siceraria
Also known as ruka (EN)

A variety of gourd

A traditional Māori gourd, also called ruka, from the Ruka whānau of Northland. Round and bowl-shaped with a neck, it has been used around the Pacific for carrying water and storing food, and is still used for bowls and containers. It needs a long growing season, and shell thickness is being re-selected.

0
plantings
0
harvests
0
seed packets
Growstuff is a free, community-run site for people who grow food. Keep track of what you plant and harvest, find seeds to swap, and see what is growing near you. Join to record your own Ngāpuhi gourds.
Sign in

Ngāpuhi gourd facts

Lifespan

Annual living and reproducing in a single year or less

What people are saying about Ngāpuhi gourds

Nobody has posted about Ngāpuhi gourds yet.

Sign in or sign up to post your tips and experiences growing Ngāpuhi gourds.
Image of Ngāpuhi gourd

Who's planted Ngāpuhi gourds

Nobody has planted this crop yet.

Sign in or sign up to track your Ngāpuhi gourd plantings.

Ngāpuhi gourd harvests

Nobody has harvested this crop yet.

Sign in or sign up to track your Ngāpuhi gourd harvests.

Find Ngāpuhi gourd seeds

There are no seeds available to trade on Growstuff right now.

Ecological requirements

Data from the FAO EcoCrop database for Lagenaria siceraria (Molina)Standley

Family / Taxonomy Magnoliopsida
Dilleniidae
Violales
Cucurbitaceae
Optimal temperature 19 - 27 °C
Absolute temperature 12 - 38 °C
Optimal rainfall 1200 - 1800 mm/year
Absolute rainfall 700 - 2800 mm/year
Optimal soil pH 5.5 - 7.0
Absolute soil pH 4.5 - 7.5
Crop cycle 60 - 120 days
Max altitude 2700 m
Life form herb, vine
Life span annual
Habit climber/scrambler/scadent
Optimal soil depth medium (50-150 cm)
Optimal soil texture medium, light
Optimal soil fertility high
Optimal soil drainage well (dry spells)
Optimal soil salinity low (<4 dS/m)
Photoperiod short day (<12 hours), neutral day (12-14 hours)
Optimal light clear skies to very bright

Licensed under CC-BY-4.0 .

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) ECOCROP, the crop ecological requirements database. Version 1. https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/dataset/ecocrop. Accessed through the CGIAR Climate Action Data Hub, https://cgiar-climate-data-hub.github.io/catalog/ecocrop_1/.

Learn more about Ngāpuhi gourds

Resources outside Growstuff.