Bitter Melon

120 Days. An Okinawan heirloom variety with deep green skin color and a very mild bitter taste. Fruit is 3-4 inches in diameter and 8-10 inches long. This variety can tolerate high temperatures and does well up to 100 F. Harvest around 100 days after sowing. A famous medicinal food of the Okinawan longevity diet, this vegetable is high in vitamin C and other important nutrients.

• 120 Days
• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-21 Days
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 24"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Momordica charantia

Growing Tips: Revels in heat and humidity. Grow up a trellis or fence. Soaking seeds overnight and nicking or splitting the tough outer seed coat may improve germination.

65 days. A unique heart-shaped variety of bitter melon, easy to prepare and with a milder flavor. The large, softball-sized fruit is an early producer. The long, rambling vines produce tons of smooth skinned, dark green, bumpy fruit. Thanks to a slightly thicker skin, this variety is considered an excellent shipper and a perfect choice for gardeners wanting to grow bitter melon for the first time. Fruit ranges from 4-6 inches across. A favorite for stuffed bitter melon recipes! This wonderful Chinese heirloom is always a favorite in our gardens.

• 65 Days
• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-21 Days
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 F
• Plant Spacing: 24"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Momordica charantia

Growing Tips: Revels in heat and humidity. Grow up a trellis or fence. Soaking seeds overnight and nicking or splitting the tough outer seed coat may improve germination.

An extra-large light green heirloom from Japan. Fruit is large and uniform with a great flavor. The bitter melon is a dietary staple on the island of Okinawa, famous for the longevity and health of its people for nearly 1,000 years. Bitter melon, called Goya in Japan, has been identified as a crucial staple of the famous Okinawan longevity diet, which is also part of the Blue Zones diet. Goya champuru is a popular Okinawan stir fry bitter melon recipe, very commonly eaten by Okinawa’s centenarian residents. We love the vitamin-rich, miraculous fruit.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-21 Days
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 24"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Momordica charantia

Growing Tips: Revels in heat and humidity. Grow up a trellis or fence. Soaking seeds overnight and nicking or splitting the tough outer seed coat may improve germination.

A Customer Favorite!  A natural marvel, the purest white bitter melon variety we know! It reminds us of the elegant white pearls found off the coast of Okinawa. The most stunning edible ornamental, this extra-large and mild Japanese bitter melon bears pearly white, mellow-flavored fruit. Its refined, less bitter flavor is still quite nutritionally potent and health promoting. Okinawan bitter melon has been identified as one of the key dietary staples contributing to the world-famous longevity of the people of this beautiful Japanese island. The lightly bitter flesh has been shown to have medicinal value in regulating blood sugar and preventing diabetes! Interestingly, the bitter melon does develop a sweetness as it ripens. When fruit is mature, a sweet, bright red sac forms around the seeds. The seed pulp of this variety tastes of sweet cherry candy and is the best of any bitter melon we have tried! The thick fruit averages 8-10 inches long. It is typically cut thick and added to soups or shaved thin and eaten raw; we have found the flavor to be by far the most superior of all bitter melon. This may be the truest Okinawan treasure, a beautiful secret to longevity and good health!

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-21 Days
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 24"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Momordica charantia

Growing Tips: Revels in heat and humidity. Grow up a trellis or fence. Soaking seeds overnight and nicking or splitting the tough outer seed coat may improve germination.

A true edible ornamental! The 16-inch-long white fruit has a subtle minty green undertone, giving the long vines a bejeweled look. The bitter melon is a pungent and intensely flavored superfood. We love this variety for stir fry, soups, and juices. The vines look fantastic climbing an arbor or trellis, as the fruit will hang like glistening stalactites.

• Sun: 8-12 hrs
• Sprouts in 7-21 days
• Seed Depth: 1 inch
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 F
• Plant Spacing: 24” apart
• Frost Hardy: NO
• Momordica charantia

Growing Tips: Revels in heat and humidity. Grow up a trellis or fence. Soaking seeds overnight and nicking or splitting the tough outer seed coat may improve germination.

These glistening, snow-white globes are a rare delicacy, even in their native region on the island of Okinawa, Japan. This dazzling edible ornamental variety produces loads of pearlescent round fruit, making a stunning backdrop for your garden design. The flavor is more mild than green bitter melon and even boasts umami flavor notes, making it a top choice for soups and a number of other simple yet delicious preparations.

• Vine Support
• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-21 Days
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Plant Spacing: 24"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Momordica charantia

Growing Tips: Revels in heat and humidity. Grow up a trellis or fence. Soaking seeds overnight and nicking or splitting the tough outer seed coat may improve germination.

Hailing from the scenic bay area of the southwestern tip of Kyushu Island, Japan, which is known for producing some of the finest bitter melons. This is an ideal bitter melon for cooking or making into tea. Exceptionally long and slender fruit is delicious sliced and stir fried; the bitter melon’s potent superfood powers are most appreciated when paired with mellow flavors like cooked garlic and beans. This bitter melon will produce tons of snake-like fruit on long vines and is a prolific and healthful addition to the kitchen garden. It grows 16-18 inches long and matures 60-70 days from sowing. Its light green color tends to lighten to a white-green at the tip, and the teardrop bumps and ridges sometimes spiral around the long fruit. Nutritious fruit contains almost as much vitamin C as citrus!

• 60-70 Days
• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-21 Days
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 24"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Momordica charantia

Growing Tips: Revels in heat and humidity. Grow up a trellis or fence. Soaking seeds overnight and nicking or splitting the tough outer seed coat may improve germination.

This tiny variety from Thailand (formerly Siam) has a potent bitter flavor and is an excellent choice for those seeking the medicinal benefits of this unique superfruit. Bitter melon has been revered in Eastern traditional medicine as a panacea for digestion and blood sugar issues for centuries. Considered a cooling food in Eastern medicine, bitter melon is consumed in the hot weather to offset external temperature extremes. This semi-wild variety from Thailand is quite ornamental.

• Full Sun
• Sprouts in 7-21 Days
• Seed Depth: 1"
• Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
• Plant Spacing: 24"
• Frost Hardy: No
• Momordica charantia

Growing Tips: Revels in heat and humidity. Grow up a trellis or fence. Soaking seeds overnight and nicking or splitting the tough outer seed coat may improve germination.