Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
-
Number of Varieties
3700
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-85-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
8-5
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
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
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
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
Ammonium Nitrate
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Food for animals, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
CALLUNA vulgaris
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Heather, Common heather, Ling
In Hindi
Mousemelon
हीथ
In German
Maus Melone
Heidekraut
In French
Mousemelon
bruyère
In Spanish
Mousemelon
brezo
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
ερείκη
In Portuguese
melão rato
urze
In Polish
mysz melona
wrzos
In Latin
mouse melon
Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Ericales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Calluna
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Ericeae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Ericoideae
Number of Species
50860
1
27800
👆🏻