Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus
Origin
Central America, Mexico
South America
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Gymnocalycium alboareolatum , Gymnocalycium amerhauseri , Gymnocalycium andreae
Number of Varieties
354
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Desert, Semi desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-89-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
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
13,21,22,23,24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm12.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm8.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
creamy white, Light Pink, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Pink
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
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
-
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
All year
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Part sun, Partial shade, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Sand, Sandy
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Sandy
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
All year
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Offsets
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 water excessively
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Sandy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Dry
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Part sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
-
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Mealy bugs, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Ants, Mealybugs
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bark, Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Decoration Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Showy Tree
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
GYMNOCALYCIUM
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Chin Cactus
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Gymnocalycium
In German
Maus Melone
Gymnocalycium
In French
Mousemelon
Gymnocalycium
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Gymnocalycium
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Gymnocalycium
In Portuguese
melão rato
Gymnocalycium
In Polish
mysz melona
Gymnocalycium
In Latin
mouse melon
Gymnocalycium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Gymnocalycium
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Trichocereeae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
5054
1
27800
👆🏻