Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent, Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
-
Number of Varieties
340
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Desert, Dry areas, Rocky areas, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-86-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-7
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
9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Olive, Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Leaf Cutting, 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
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Do not water frequently
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Brown Spots, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought, Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil, Sun
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
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Decorating walls
Beauty Benefits
-
-
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
-
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
YUCCA brevifolia
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
yucca palm
tree yucca
palm tree yucca
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Joshua Tree
In German
Maus Melone
Joshua Tree
In French
Mousemelon
Joshua Tree
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Árbol de Joshua
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Joshua Tree
In Portuguese
melão rato
Joshua Tree
In Polish
mysz melona
Joshua Tree
In Latin
mouse melon
Joshua ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Asparagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Agavaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Yucca
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5050
1
27800
👆🏻