Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Perennial
Origin
Central America, Mexico
-
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Potentilla bifurca, Potentilla biennis
Number of Varieties
3500
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Fields, Open Forest, Upland
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-85-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-4
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
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm38.10 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
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
Keep ground moist, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering
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
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
as it is a flowering plant, use high phosphorous content fertilizer, Compost, fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, organic fertlizers, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Leaf spot
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
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Avoid during Pregnancy
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Diarrhea, Inflammation, Menstrual Disorders, Sore throat
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
POTENTILLA 'Emilie'
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Cinquefoil
In Hindi
Mousemelon
पंचकोण
In German
Maus Melone
Fingerkraut
In French
Mousemelon
potentille
In Spanish
Mousemelon
cinquefoil
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Πεντάφυλλο
In Portuguese
melão rato
cinquefoil
In Polish
mysz melona
pięciornik
In Latin
mouse melon
cinquefoil
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Rosales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Rosaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Potentilla
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Rosoideae
Number of Species
50300
1
27800
👆🏻