Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Epiphyte
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southeastern United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
-
Number of Varieties
33
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-810-13
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
H1, H2, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm25.60 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Burgundy, Dark Red, Light Green, Violet, Dark Salmon
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Bulbs, By dividing rhizomes, tubers, Divison
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, 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, Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Loam
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Bees, pollinators
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Bouquets, 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
Cancer, Eye Problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bulbs, Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
PROSTHECHEA cochleata
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Clamshell Orchid, Cockleshell Orchid, Black Orchid
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Clamshell Orchid
In German
Maus Melone
Clamshell Orchid
In French
Mousemelon
Clamshell Orchid
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Clamshell Orchid
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Encyclia Cochleata
In Portuguese
melão rato
Clamshell Orchid
In Polish
mysz melona
Clamshell Orchid
In Latin
mouse melon
Clamshell Orchid
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Orchidales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Orchidaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Prosthechea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Epidendreae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Epidendroideae
Number of Species
5050
1
27800
👆🏻