Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
-
Number of Varieties
3-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-810-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-9
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
H2, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm1,370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm1,520.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
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
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires a lot of watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
-
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
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Birds, Butterflies
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
constipation, Diarrhea, Digestive disorders, Dysentry, Fever, Tooth ache
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Making Shampoo, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
ALEURITES moluccanus
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Candleberry, Candlenut, Kukui
In Hindi
Mousemelon
candlenut पेड़
In German
Maus Melone
Candlenut Baum
In French
Mousemelon
arbre Candlenut
In Spanish
Mousemelon
árbol candlenut
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
candlenut δέντρο
In Portuguese
melão rato
candlenut árvore
In Polish
mysz melona
Tung Molukański drzewo
In Latin
mouse melon
Candlenut ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Dicotyledonae
Order
Cucurbitales
Malpighiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Aleurites
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
Aleuritideae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Crotonoideae
Number of Species
50600
1
27800
👆🏻