Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Vegetable
Origin
Europe, Turkey, Central Asia, Western Asia
Central America, Mexico
Types
Colchicum cupanii, Colchicum alpinum
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
453
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Fields, meadows, Rocky areas, Shaded sites, Woodlands
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-1
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
Plant Size
Minimum Height
7.60 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
7.60 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Purple, Violet
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall, Winter, Late Winter
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Medium, Needs less watering, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water less during winter
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Ample Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Less Watering
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove shoots
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Less fertilizing
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
-
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Kidney Disease, Low blood pressure, Stomach pain, Toxic, Vomiting
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, Diarrhea, Diuretic, Rheumatism
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Alpine, Container, Cutflower, Foundation, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
COLCHICUM
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Colchicum
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
colchicum
Mousemelon
In German
colchicum
Maus Melone
In French
colchique
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Colchicum
Mousemelon
In Greek
Colchicum
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Colchicum
melão rato
In Polish
Colchicum
mysz melona
In Latin
Colchicum
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Liliales
Cucurbitales
Family
Liliaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Colchicum
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Wurmbaeiodeae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
16050
1
27800
👆🏻