Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
-
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
-
Number of Varieties
345
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
along watercourse, gardens, Humid climates, Prairies, Roadsides
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-85-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
8-3
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
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
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
Red, Burgundy, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Divison, 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
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Keep ground moist, Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering, Water more in summer
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Do not prune during shooting season, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Pests and diseases free
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
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
Back pain
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
-
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
CORNUS 'Rutban'
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Aurora Dogwood, Dogwood
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Dogwood
In German
Maus Melone
Hartriegel
In French
Mousemelon
Cornouiller
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Madera del perro
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
κρανιά
In Portuguese
melão rato
cornizo
In Polish
mysz melona
Dereń
In Latin
mouse melon
dogwood
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Cucurbitales
Cornales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cornaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Cornus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5040
1
27800
👆🏻