Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
India, Nepal, China
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Betula utilis
Number of Varieties
32
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Mountains
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-85-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
7-5
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
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Tan, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Yellow green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Yellow
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Cordiform
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 Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Grafting, Stem Cutting
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
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
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 damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
Fertilize in early spring, Fertilize in late fall, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Honey fungus, Leaves with brown tip, Phytophthora Root Rot, Powdery mildew, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Dry Conditions, waterlogging, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
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
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Weightloss
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
anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Antioxidants, Antiseptic, Carminative
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used in construction, Wood is used in construction
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
BETULA utilis
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Himalayan Birch
In Hindi
Mousemelon
हिमालय सन्टी
In German
Maus Melone
Himalaya-Birke
In French
Mousemelon
bouleau de l'Himalaya
In Spanish
Mousemelon
abedul del Himalaya
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Himalayan σημύδας
In Portuguese
melão rato
bétula Himalaia
In Polish
mysz melona
Himalayan brzoza
In Latin
mouse melon
Birch Himalayan
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Fagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5030
1
27800
👆🏻