Life Span
Annual
-
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southern Africa, South Africa
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Shrub
Number of Varieties
336
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Forest margins, Grassland, Mountains, Pastures, Rocky Ridges, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-88-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-7
Sunset Zone
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
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm460.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Light Green, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
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
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Form a Soil ring to water efficiently, Use and maintain water-efficient soaker hoses, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Birds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Diarrhea, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Culinary use, Employed in herbal medicine, Used as a dye, Used as a spice, Used in paper industry, Wood is used for making furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
RHUS lancea
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
African Sumac
In Hindi
Mousemelon
अफ्रीकी एक प्रकार का पौधा
In German
Maus Melone
African sumac
In French
Mousemelon
sumac africaine
In Spanish
Mousemelon
zumaque africano
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Αφρικανική σουμάκι
In Portuguese
melão rato
sumac africano
In Polish
mysz melona
afrykański sumaka
In Latin
mouse melon
African sumac
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Cucurbitales
Sapindales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Anacardiaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Rhus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Anacardioideae
Number of Species
5036
1
27800
👆🏻