Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Eastern Asia
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
G. 'Radicans', G. 'Aimee',G. 'Golden Magic'
Number of Varieties
310
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-87-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
-
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
Oval/Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm105.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm135.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Orange Red, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Dark 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
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, Tip cutting
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
Keep the Soil well drained, Needs less watering, Requires consistently moist soil, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Aphids, Mealy bugs, Spider mites, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
-
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Double
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Hay fever, Mild Allergen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bouquets, Informal Hedge, 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
chest congestion, cholesterol-lowering, Detoxification
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Cake, Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Jam, Used as preservative
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
GARDENIA jasminoides 'Frostproof'
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Cape Jasmine, Frostproof Gardenia, Gardenia
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Gardenia jasminoides
In German
Maus Melone
Gardenie
In French
Mousemelon
Cape Jasmine
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Gardenia jasminoides
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Cape Jasmine
In Portuguese
melão rato
Gardenia jasminoides
In Polish
mysz melona
Gardenia jaśminowata
In Latin
mouse melon
Gardenia mucronata
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Gentianales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Rubiaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Gardenia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
50200
1
27800
👆🏻