Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Mediterranean, Turkey
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Colchicum autumnale
Number of Varieties
325
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Lawn, meadows, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-86-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-1
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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm7.60 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm7.60 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Fuchsia, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long Broad
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Corms or bulbs, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Do Not over Water, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in summer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Slugs
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Bees, Butterflies
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
poisonous if ingested, Toxic if not prepared properly
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Removes pimples
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
Arthritis, Gout, Itching
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bulbs, Flowers, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Alpine, Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
Colchicum autumnale
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Autumn Crocus, meadow saffron, naked lady
In Hindi
Mousemelon
शरद ऋतु का पौधा
In German
Maus Melone
Herbstzeitlose
In French
Mousemelon
colchique d'automne
In Spanish
Mousemelon
cólquico
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
φθινόπωρο κρόκος
In Portuguese
melão rato
aftomn gema
In Polish
mysz melona
aftomn żółtka
In Latin
mouse melon
aftomn vitellus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Liliales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Colchicum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Colchiceae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
50160
1
27800
👆🏻