Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Perennial
Fruit
Origin
World, Pandemic, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
301
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Bluffs, Sandy stream banks, Wooded slopes
Low Elevation, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-1
12-5
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6
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
10.20 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple, Lavender, Blue Violet
Lemon yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium, Requires watering in the growing season
Do not water excessively
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Insects
-
Allergy
Skin irritation
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Liver problems, Skin Disorders, Treatment of ulcers
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Used as a spice
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
IRIS cristata
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Common Name
Crested Iris
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
In Hindi
कलगी आइरिस
Kiwano Melon
In German
Crested Iris
Hornmelone
In French
Crested Iris
Cucumis metulifer
In Spanish
Crested Iris
Cucumis metuliferus
In Greek
Crested Iris
Kiwano Melon
In Portuguese
Crested Iris
pepino africano
In Polish
Czubaty Iris
Ogórek kiwano
In Latin
iubatum Iris
Kiwano Melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Violales
Family
Iridaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Iris
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
-
Number of Species
2101
1
27800
👆🏻