Balsam Gourd

Ibervillea lindheimeri

OrderCucurbitales

FamilyCucurbitaceae

HabitatBrushy limestone hills, fencerows, and canyon edges

SeasonFruits ripen from green to red in late summer and fall

LocationMilton Reimers Ranch Park, Dripping Springs, Texas, Travis County, Texas

SizeVine to about 10 ft; fruit about 1 in

DietFruit eaten by birds and mammals

ConservationNot evaluated - common in Central Texas

CameraNikon Z9Lens800mmAperturef/6.3Shutter1/800ISO400

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Balsam Gourd at Reimers Ranch.

About the Balsam Gourd

Balsam Gourd, also called Lindheimer's globeberry, is a native Texas vine in the squash family. It climbs through brush and over fences on thin tendrils, and in the fall it hangs out round fruits that ripen from striped green to bright red.

The plant grows from a large underground tuber that lets it survive drought and come back after a dry summer. Its small yellow flowers are easy to miss, but the red fruits stand out against bare winter branches and are taken by birds and small mammals.

This vine was photographed on December 9, 2023, at Milton Reimers Ranch Park in Travis County, with ripe red and green fruits still hanging in the brush.

Want to see a Balsam Gourd in the wild?
Join one of my guided birding tours! Fine art prints of my photos are also available.

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