Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Perennial
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Apricot Queen, August Flame, Autumn Fire
Number of Varieties
38
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Fields, marshes, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-86-11
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
H1, H2, 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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Orange, Dark Red, Orange Red, Copper, Chocolate, Black
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Brown
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
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
From Rhizomes, Seedlings
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
Do not let dry out between waterings, Needs Very high moisture
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly 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
organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Mosaic potyvirus
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Poisonous to grazing animals
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Bog Garden, Water gardening
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
Sedative
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Oil is used for aromatherapy
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Bog Garden, Water Gardens, Wildflower
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
IRIS fulva
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Copper iris
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Copper Iris
In German
Maus Melone
Copper Iris
In French
Mousemelon
Copper Iris
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Cobre Iris
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
χαλκός Iris
In Portuguese
melão rato
Copper Iris
In Polish
mysz melona
Miedź Iris
In Latin
mouse melon
Iris Copper
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Liliales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Iris
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Irideae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Iridoideae
Number of Species
50250
1
27800
👆🏻