Cucurbitaceae
Balsampear
Momordica charantia
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
- Genus
- Momordica
Pets and kids
- CatsNot sure
- DogsNot sure
- KidsToxic
Why
Cats: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Dogs: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Kids: Toxic
Toxic to young children (moderate). Toxic principle: resin, saponic glycoside, alkaloids.
Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, salivation.
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Is Balsampear safe for cats, dogs and kids?
Is Balsampear safe for cats?
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Is Balsampear safe for dogs?
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Is Balsampear safe for kids?
No. Our sources call Balsampear toxic to young children (moderate). Toxic principle: resin, saponic glycoside, alkaloids. Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, salivation.
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.
Common names
By language (91)
- ami
- Kakurut
- Arabic
- معضوضة كرمية الأوراق, القرع المر, قرع مر
- arz
- معضوضه كرمية الاوراق
- Assamese
- তিতা কেৰেলা
- azb
- قودرت ناری
- Azerbaijani
- Qüdrət narı
- Bambara
- Bangɛyɛ
- ban
- Paya
- Bangla
- করলা, করল্লা
- Basque
- Meloi mikatz
- Bhojpuri
- करइली
- bik
- Marigoso
- bjn
- Paparé
- bo
- ཁ་ཀུབ།
- Burmese
- ကြက်ဟင်းခါးသီး
- Cantonese
- 苦瓜
- cdo
- Kū-guă
- Chinese
- 苦瓜, 凉瓜, 癞葡萄, 苦瓜Kugua, 苦瓜子, 野苦瓜
- Czech
- Momordika hořká okurka, Hořká dýně, Hořká okurka, Hořká tykev, Hořký meloun
- Danish
- Bitteragurk
- Dutch
- Sopropo
- English
- Balsampear, Balsam-pear, Bitter gourd, Bitter melon, Bitter squash, Goya, Karela, Peria
- Esperanto
- Momordiko
- Estonian
- Karella-kibekurk
- Filipino
- Ampalaya
- Finnish
- Karvaskurkku
- French
- Margose, Melon amer, Momordique
- German
- Bittermelone, Balsamapfel, Balsambirne, Bittere Springgurke, Bittergurke, Goya-Gurke
- gor
- Paria
- guc
- Jurulaa
- Gujarati
- કારેલું
- Haitian Creole
- Asosi
- hak
- Fú-kûa
- Hebrew
- מלון מר
- hif
- Karela
- Hindi
- करेला
- Hungarian
- Balzsamkörte
- Iloko
- Paria
- Indonesian
- Peria
- Japanese
- ツルレイシ, ゴーヤ, ゴーヤー, ニガウリ, 蔓茘枝
- Javanese
- Paré
- Kannada
- ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ
- kge
- Paria
- Korean
- 여주
- ks
- کَریل
- Kurdish
- Gulxenderan
- Kyrgyz
- Момордика харанция
- lah
- کریلا
- Latvian
- Balzambumbieris, Harantu momordika, Rūgtā melone
- Lithuanian
- Raukšlėtasis svaidenis
- Macedonian
- Горчлива диња, Карела
- mad
- Prèya
- Malagasy
- Margôzy
- Malay
- Peria katak, Peria
- Malayalam
- പാവല്
- Marathi
- कारले
- nan
- Khó͘-koe
- Nepali
- तीते करेला
- nia
- Föria
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Balsamagurk
- Odia
- କଲରା, କଲୁରୀ
- pam
- Apalya
- Persian
- خیار چنبر تلخ
- Polish
- Przepękla ogórkowata
- Punjabi
- ਕਰੇਲਾ
- Russian
- Момордика харанция, Горький огурец, Китайская горькая тыква
- ryu
- ゴーヤー, ゴーヤ
- Sanskrit
- कारवेल्लम्
- sat
- ᱠᱟᱨᱞᱟ, ᱦᱟᱲᱦᱟᱫ ᱶᱠᱟᱨᱞᱟ
- Serbian
- Gorka dinja
- shn
- မၢၵ်ႇဢၢင်ၶၢင်
- Sindhi
- ڪريلو
- Sundanese
- Paria
- Swedish
- Bittergurka
- szy
- Kakulut
- Tamil
- பாகல்
- tay
- Luhi
- tcy
- ಕಂಚಲ್
- Telugu
- కాకర
- Thai
- มะระ
- Turkish
- Kudret narı
- Ukrainian
- Китайський гіркий гарбуз
- Urdu
- کریلا
- Uyghur
- ئاچچىق چۈچۈك كالا سىڭىرى
- Uzbek
- Achchiq qovun
- vec
- Suca amara, Melon amaro, Melon amaròdego, Melon amaròtico, Suca amaròdega, Suca amaròtica
- Vietnamese
- Khổ qua, Ổ qua
- Wolof
- Mbërbóof
- wuu
- 苦瓜
- Yoruba
- Ejirin weere
- za
- Lwghaemz
Synonyms
- Cucumis argyi H.Lév.
- Cucumis intermedius M.Roem.
- Momordica anthelmintica Schumach. & Thonn.
- Momordica charantia f. abbreviata (Ser.) W.J.de Wilde & Duyfjes
- Momordica charantia subsp. abbreviata (Ser.) Greb.
- Momordica charantia var. abbreviata Ser.
- Momordica charantia var. longirostrata Cogn.
- Momordica charantia var. muricata (Willd.) Chakrav.
- Momordica charantia var. pseudobalsamina Griseb.
- Momordica charantia var. zeylanica Hitchc.
- Momordica chinensis hort.
- Momordica elegans Salisb.
- Momordica indica L.
- Momordica jagorana K.Koch
- Momordica muricata Willd.
- Momordica papillosa Peckolt ex Rosenth.
- Momordica roxburghiana G.Don
- Momordica senegalensis Lam.
- Momordica sinensis hort.
- Momordica thollonii Cogn.
- Momordica zeylanica Mill.
- Sicyos fauriei H.Lév.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb, Vine
- Lifespan
- Annual
- In the US and Canada
- Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced
Photos
Photo: Albert, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Thamizhpparithi Maari, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Billjones94, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Billjones94, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Momordica
- Gac melonMomordica cochinchinensisCucurbitaceae
- Southern balsampearMomordica balsaminaCucurbitaceae
- BalsampearMomordica dioicaCucurbitaceae
- Momordica foetidaCucurbitaceae
- Momordica cymbalariaCucurbitaceae
- Momordica boiviniiCucurbitaceae
- Momordica subangulataCucurbitaceae
- Momordica cardiospermoidesCucurbitaceae
- Momordica cissoidesCucurbitaceae
- Momordica enneaphyllaCucurbitaceae
- Momordica humilisCucurbitaceae
- Momordica multifloraCucurbitaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.