Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Herbaceous Perennial
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Africa, Kenya, South Africa
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Freesia
Number of Varieties
315
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
gardens, Grassland, Homesteads, Tropical regions, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-89-10
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
-
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm50.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm40.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Yellow
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
Green, Light Yellow, Brown
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Medium
High
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Needs a lot of moisture in the growing season, Stop watering completely once the plant becomes dormant
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Shade, Indirect sunlight, Partial shade, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Cut away fading foliage, Remove deadheads, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
20-20-20 amount, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Fertilize in early spring, Potash
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Pests and diseases free
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
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
Butterflies
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Hair Conditioner, Making cosmetics, Skin cleanser
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
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bulbs, Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Cosmetics, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used for fragrance
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Flower borders, Screening
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
Freesia refracta
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Freesia
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Freesia
In German
Maus Melone
Freesie
In French
Mousemelon
Freesia
In Spanish
Mousemelon
fresia
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
freesia
In Portuguese
melão rato
freesia
In Polish
mysz melona
frezja
In Latin
mouse melon
Freesia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Asparagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Freesia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Ixioideae
Number of Species
5016
1
27800
👆🏻