Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Central America, Mexico
Types
Echinocactus parryi, Echinocactus texensis
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
503
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Gravels, Sandy areas
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Magenta
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Heat Tolerance, Shade areas
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
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
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
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 leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
fertilize in summer, Potassium
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Spider mites
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Shade areas
Cold climate
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects, Mealybugs, Spider Mites
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Skin cuts
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Very little waste
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
ECHINOCACTUS
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Golden barrel cactus, Golden ball
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
echinocactus
Mousemelon
In German
echinocactus
Maus Melone
In French
echinocactus
Mousemelon
In Spanish
echinocactus
Mousemelon
In Greek
Echinocactus
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Echinocactus
melão rato
In Polish
Echinocactus
mysz melona
In Latin
Echinocactus
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cactaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Echinocactus
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Cacteae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
1150
1
27800
👆🏻