Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Tropical Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
310
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-810-15
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, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm1,370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Green, Yellow green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oblong or Lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, 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
Average Water Needs
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, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
Put diluted fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
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
-
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
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
DILLENIA indica
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Chulta, Elephant Apple
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Elephant Apple
In German
Maus Melone
Elefant von Apple
In French
Mousemelon
Elephant d'Apple
In Spanish
Mousemelon
El elefante de Apple
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
ελέφαντας της Apple
In Portuguese
melão rato
Elefante da Apple
In Polish
mysz melona
Słoń Jabłko
In Latin
mouse melon
Elephant Apple
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Dilleniales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Dilleniaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Dillenia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
501
1
27800
👆🏻