Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States, Texas, Canada
Central America, Mexico
Types
-
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
23
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mixed deciduous forest, shaded fields, shaded moist road banks, shaded riverbanks
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-97-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-2
12-1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7
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
30.50 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Root Division, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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
Clay, Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
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
Pest Free, Red blotch
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
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Toxic
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
antihelmintic, cathartic, Emetic, malignant neoplasms, Stomach pain
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Rhizomes, Root
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Wildflower
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
PODOPHYLLUM peltatum
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
American Mandrake, Mayapple
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
अमेरिकी विषैला पौधा
Mousemelon
In German
amerikanisch Alraune
Maus Melone
In French
mandrake américain
Mousemelon
In Spanish
mandrágora americana
Mousemelon
In Greek
american μανδραγόρα
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
mandrake americano
melão rato
In Polish
amerykański mandragory
mysz melona
In Latin
Latin mandragoras
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ranunculales
Cucurbitales
Family
Berberidaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Podophyllum
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
250
1
27800
👆🏻