Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
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Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-8
4-9
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
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 Shape
Heart-shaped
Oblong
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
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
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Asthma
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Maus Melone
Kracher penstemon
In French
Mousemelon
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
melão rato
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
mysz melona
petarda penstemon
In Latin
mouse melon
Firecracker Persicaria
Order
Cucurbitales
Lamiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
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Season and Care of Mouse Melon and Firecracker Penstemon
Season and care of Mouse Melon and Firecracker Penstemon is important to know. While considering everything about Mouse Melon and Firecracker Penstemon Care, growing season is an essential factor. Mouse Melon season is Summer and Fall and Firecracker Penstemon season is Summer and Fall. The type of soil for Mouse Melon is Loam and for Firecracker Penstemon is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Mouse Melon is Neutral and for Firecracker Penstemon is Neutral, Alkaline.
Mouse Melon and Firecracker Penstemon Physical Information
Mouse Melon and Firecracker Penstemon physical information is very important for comparison. Mouse Melon height is 15.20 cm and width 180.00 cm whereas Firecracker Penstemon height is 61.00 cm and width 25.40 cm. The color specification of Mouse Melon and Firecracker Penstemon are as follows:
Mouse Melon flower color: Yellow and Gold
Mouse Melon leaf color: Light Green
Firecracker Penstemon flower color: Crimson
- Firecracker Penstemon leaf color: Green
Care of Mouse Melon and Firecracker Penstemon
Care of Mouse Melon and Firecracker Penstemon include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Mouse Melon pruning is done Prune after flowering and Remove shoots and Firecracker Penstemon pruning is done No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves and Remove deadheads. In summer Mouse Melon needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Firecracker Penstemon needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.