Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Madagascar
Types
-
Purple vinca, Vinca, cherry red, strawberry color
Number of Varieties
130
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
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
A1, A2, 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
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm1.97 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm2.96 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Magenta, Pink, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Fall, Spring, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Pollution, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Does not require lot of watering, Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune ocassionally
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Botrytis Blight, Canker, Crown rot, Pythium rot, Root rot
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
Toxic
Intestinal gas, Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Chest pain, High blood pressure, Inflammation, Sore throat, Tooth ache, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Whole plant
Other Uses
-
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Catharanthus roseus
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Madagascar periwinkle or rosy periwinkle
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
Periwinkle
In German
Hornmelone
Immergrün
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Pervenche
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Bígaro
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
μυρτιά
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Mirta
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Barwinek
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Periwinkle
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Mollusca
Class
Magnoliopsida
Gastropoda
Order
Violales
Geraniales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Catharanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
18
1
27800
👆🏻