Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa
Central America, Mexico
Types
Perennial
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-10
7-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Skin irritation
Throat itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
Food for animals, Food for birds
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
African Iris
Mousemelon
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Maus Melone
In French
African Iris
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Iris africano
Mousemelon
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Iris africano
melão rato
In Polish
Afryki Iris
mysz melona
In Latin
African Iris
mouse melon
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Cucurbitales
Family
Iridaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Irideae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Season and Care of African Iris and Mouse Melon
Season and care of African Iris and Mouse Melon is important to know. While considering everything about African Iris and Mouse Melon Care, growing season is an essential factor. African Iris season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and Mouse Melon season is Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The type of soil for African Iris is Clay, Loam, Sand and for Mouse Melon is Loam while the PH of soil for African Iris is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Mouse Melon is Neutral.
African Iris and Mouse Melon Physical Information
African Iris and Mouse Melon physical information is very important for comparison. African Iris height is 61.30 cm and width 30.50 cm whereas Mouse Melon height is 15.20 cm and width 180.00 cm. The color specification of African Iris and Mouse Melon are as follows:
African Iris flower color: Yellow, Light Yellow and Brown
African Iris leaf color: Green and Gray Green
Mouse Melon flower color: Yellow and Gold
- Mouse Melon leaf color: Light Green
Care of African Iris and Mouse Melon
Care of African Iris and Mouse Melon include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. African Iris pruning is done Remove dead leaves and Mouse Melon pruning is done Prune after flowering and Remove shoots. In summer African Iris needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Mouse Melon needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.