Life Span
Annual
  
Perennial
  
Type
Vegetable
  
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
  
Origin
Central America, Mexico
  
Asia, North America, Southern Europe
  
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
  
Aristocrat, Buckeye Belle, Henry Bockstoce , Abalone Pearl, Coral Supreme, Cytherea, Charlie's White
  
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
  
Hillside, Woods
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-8
  
3-9
  
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
  
8-1
  
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
  
A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22
  
Habit
Vining/Climbing
  
Clump-Forming
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
  
Pink, Red, White
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Not Available
  
Fruit Color
Green
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
  
Dark Green, Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
  
Bronze, Dark Green, Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
  
Compound
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
  
Spring
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Part sun
  
Growth Rate
Very Fast
  
Slow
  
Type of Soil
Loam
  
Loamy
  
The pH of Soil
Neutral
  
Neutral
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
  
Spring, Summer
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
No
  
Tolerances
Drought
  
Not Available
  
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
  
Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
  
Grafting, 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
  
Does not require lot of watering, It cannot sustain wet-feet, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Needs watering once a week, Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering, Water occasionally
  
In Summer
Lots of watering
  
Lots of watering
  
In Spring
Moderate
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Average Water
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Neutral
  
Neutral
  
Soil Type
Loam
  
Loamy
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Part sun
  
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
  
Do not prune during shooting season, Prune to control growth, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
  
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
  
Botrytis Blight, Leaf spot, Stem spot, Viruses
  
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Yes
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Semi-Double
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
Yes
  
Yes
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
No
  
No
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Coarse
  
Coarse
  
Foliage Sheen
Matte
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
No
  
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
  
Ants
  
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
  
Not Available
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
  
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
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
  
Cough, Gout, Headache, Heartburn, Kidney problems, Upset stomach, Urinary tract problems
  
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
  
Flowers, Root, Seeds
  
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
  
Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for fragrance
  
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
  
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
  
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
  
Paeonia lactiflora
  
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
  
Herbaceous Peony
  
In Hindi
Mousemelon
  
Herbaceous peony
  
In German
Maus Melone
  
Krautige Pfingstrose
  
In French
Mousemelon
  
pivoines herbacées
  
In Spanish
Mousemelon
  
peonía herbáceas
  
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
  
ποώδη παιωνία
  
In Portuguese
melão rato
  
peônia herbáceas
  
In Polish
mysz melona
  
piwonii zielnych
  
In Latin
mouse melon
  
herbaceum AGLAOPHOTIS
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Tracheophyta
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Magnoliopsida
  
Order
Cucurbitales
  
Not Available
  
Family
Cucurbitaceae
  
Paeoniaceae
  
Genus
Cucumis
  
Paeonia
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Melothrieae
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available