Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
-
Central America, Mexico
Types
Primula auricula, Bear's Ear
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
253
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Rocky Mountains
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-97-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 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
20.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Yellow Orange
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Yellow, Brown
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
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, 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, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in growing season
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
-
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Variety of soil types
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
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Borders, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Making cosmetics, Stops hair loss
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Versatility
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eczema
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Medicinal oil, Showy Purposes, 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, Fruit / Fruit Tree
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Primula auricula
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
auricula, mountain cowslip or bear's ear
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
mountain cowslip
Mousemelon
In German
Aurikel
Maus Melone
In French
Primula auricula
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Primula auricula
Mousemelon
In Greek
mountain cowslip
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
cowslip montanha
melão rato
In Polish
Pierwiosnek łyszczak
mysz melona
In Latin
Primula auricula
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ericales
Cucurbitales
Family
Primulaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Primula
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Primuloideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
2550
1
27800
👆🏻