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About Echinopsis and Mouse Melon


About Mouse Melon and Echinopsis


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Annual  

Type
Cactus or Succulent  
Vegetable  

Origin
North America, South America, Brazil  
Central America, Mexico  

Types
Peanut cactus  
Slicing, Pickling and burpless  

Number of Varieties
128  
99+
3  
99+

Habitat
Desert, Sandy areas, Semi desert  
Floodplains, Wet forest  

USDA Hardiness Zone
12-15  
7-8  

AHS Heat Zone
12-10  
12-1  

Sunset Zone
12, 13, 16, 17, 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
Upright/Erect  
Vining/Climbing  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
30.00 cm  
99+
15.20 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
15.20 cm  
99+
180.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Orange, Rose  
Yellow, Gold  

Flower Color Modifier
-  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Green, Orange Red  
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
Yes  
No  

Season

Plant Season
-  
Summer, Fall  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
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
Spring  
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot  
Container, Ground  

How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting  
Seedlings, Stem Planting  

Plant Maintenance
Low  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Water once every two or three weeks, 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
Average Water  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Average Water  
Moderate  

In Winter
Less Watering  
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, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Remove dead or diseased plant parts  
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots  

Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, fertilize in summer, Potassium  
Compost, organic fertlizers  

Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Scale  
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles  

Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil  
Cold climate  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
No  
Yes  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
Yes  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
No  
No  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Bold  
Coarse  

Foliage Sheen
-  
Matte  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
No  
Yes  

Attracts
Hummingbirds  
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels  

Allergy
Skin cuts  
Throat itching, Vomiting  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes  
Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Versatility, Very little waste  
Food for animals, Food for birds  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Burns, Heals minor burns, Heart problems, High blood pressure, Wounds  
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron  

Part of Plant Used
Leaves  
Fruits, Seeds  

Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, 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
Yes  
Yes  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall  
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
ECHINOPSIS  
MELOTHRIA scabra  

Common Name
Hedgehog Cactus, Sea urchin cactus  
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon  

In Hindi
हाथी कैक्टस  
Mousemelon  

In German
Igel Kaktus  
Maus Melone  

In French
hérisson cactus  
Mousemelon  

In Spanish
cactus de erizo  
Mousemelon  

In Greek
κάκτος σκαντζόχοιρος  
πεπόνι ποντίκι  

In Portuguese
hedgehog cactus  
melão rato  

In Polish
jeż kaktus  
mysz melona  

In Latin
cactus  
mouse melon  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Tracheophyta  
Tracheophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Caryophyllales  
Cucurbitales  

Family
Cactaceae  
Cucurbitaceae  

Genus
Echinopsis  
Cucumis  

Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots  
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  

Tribe
Trichocereeae  
Melothrieae  

Subfamily
Cactoideae  
Cucurbitoideae  

Number of Species
2000  
12
50  

Summary >>
<< Classification

Properties of Echinopsis and Mouse Melon

Wondering what are the properties of Echinopsis and Mouse Melon? We provide you with everything About Echinopsis and Mouse Melon. Echinopsis has thorns and Mouse Melon doesn't have thorns. Also Echinopsis does not have fragrant flowers. Echinopsis has allergic reactions like Skin cuts and Mouse Melon has allergic reactions like Skin cuts. Compare all the properties and characteristics of these two plants. Find out which of these plant can be used as indoor plant. If you are interested to decorate your house and garden, find out aesthetic uses, compare them and select the plant which will beautify your surrounding. Along with beautification, try comparing medicinal and edible uses of Echinopsis and Mouse Melon and you can choose the plant having best and most benefits.

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Season and Care of Echinopsis and Mouse Melon

Season and care of Echinopsis and Mouse Melon is important to know. While considering everything about Echinopsis and Mouse Melon Care, growing season is an essential factor. Echinopsis season is and Mouse Melon season is . The type of soil for Echinopsis is Loam, Sand and for Mouse Melon is Loam while the PH of soil for Echinopsis is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline and for Mouse Melon is Neutral.

Echinopsis and Mouse Melon Physical Information

Echinopsis and Mouse Melon physical information is very important for comparison. Echinopsis height is 30.00 cm and width 15.20 cm whereas Mouse Melon height is 15.20 cm and width 180.00 cm. The color specification of Echinopsis and Mouse Melon are as follows:

Care of Echinopsis and Mouse Melon

Care of Echinopsis and Mouse Melon include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Echinopsis pruning is done Remove dead or diseased plant parts and Mouse Melon pruning is done Prune after flowering and Remove shoots. In summer Echinopsis needs Average Water and in winter, it needs Less Watering. Whereas, in summer Mouse Melon needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.

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