Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Madagascar
Central America, Mexico
Types
-
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
503
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
subtropical regions, Tropical areas
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
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
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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
25.40 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Pink, Peach
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Elliptic and Ovate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively, Needs less watering, Needs small amount of water
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
aster yellow, Leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot, Slugs, Snails, Stem rot
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Pollution, Salt
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Toxic if not prepared properly
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover, Hanging Basket, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diabetes, Hodgkin's lymphoma., Leukemia, Sore throat
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Flowering Tips, Leaves, stalk
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Traditional medicine, Use in Chinese herbology
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
CATHARANTHUS roseus
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Cooler Apricot Vinca, Madagascar Periwinkle, Vinca
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Vinca
Mousemelon
In German
Rosafarbene Catharanthe
Maus Melone
In French
Pervenche de Madagascar
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Catharanthus roseus
Mousemelon
In Greek
Catharanthus roseus
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Catharanthus roseus
melão rato
In Polish
Katarantus różowy
mysz melona
In Latin
Catharanthus roseus
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Cucurbitales
Family
Apocynaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Catharanthus
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Vicieae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
850
1
27800
👆🏻