Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa
Central America, Mexico
Types
Gasteria brachyphylla, Gasteria rawlinsonii
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
163
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Deciduous forests, River side, rocky banks of streams
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-1
Sunset Zone
13, 16, 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
Rosette/Stemless
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
12.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Coral
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Tongue shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Bright direct sunlight, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Less 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
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Doesn't require fertilization when grown in rich soil
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Fusarium root rot, Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Heat And Humidity
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
Ants, Flies
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Irritation to intestines, Skin rash
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
For treating wrinkles, Good for the Scalp
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, Blood disorders, Laxative
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Sap
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Shampoo, Oil is used in mosquito repellents
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
GASTERIA
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Gasteria
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Gasteria
Mousemelon
In German
Gasteria
Maus Melone
In French
Gasteria
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Gasteria
Mousemelon
In Greek
Gasteria
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Gasteria
melão rato
In Polish
Gasteria
mysz melona
In Latin
Gasteria
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
Monocots
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Cucurbitales
Family
Aloaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Gasteria
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Asphodeloideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
1650
1
27800
👆🏻