Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Central America, Mexico
Types
-
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
-3
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
secondary forest, shaded woods
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
150.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Yellow, Green, Dark Green, Light Yellow
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Yellow, Green, Dark Green, Light Yellow
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Green, Dark Green, Light Yellow
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Yellow, Green, Dark Green, Light Yellow
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
broad, flat
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep ground moist, Keep the Soil well drained
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune central stem, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, slow-release fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Mealy bugs, Red spider mite
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Insects
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
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
-
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet 'Variegata'
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Golden Lotus, Shell Ginger, Variegated Shell Ginger
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
golden lotus
Mousemelon
In German
golden lotus
Maus Melone
In French
golden lotus
Mousemelon
In Spanish
golden lotus
Mousemelon
In Greek
golden lotus
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
golden lotus
melão rato
In Polish
golden lotus
mysz melona
In Latin
golden lotus
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Cucurbitales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Ensete
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
5050
1
27800
👆🏻