Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tender Perennial
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
-
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Number of Varieties
120
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99998-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-5
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
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
White, Red, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
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
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 8-4-6 amount
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
Toxic
Rash
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Leaves, Rhizomes
Other Uses
-
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
ALPINIA zerumbet
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Shell Ginger
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
Shell Ginger
In German
Hornmelone
Shell Ginger
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Shell Ginger
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Shell jengibre
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
Shell Τζίντζερ
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Shell Ginger
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Shell Imbir
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Crusta Ginger
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Lilopsida
Order
Violales
Zingiberales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Alpinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Alpinieae
Subfamily
-
Alpinioideae
Number of Species
1150
1
27800
👆🏻