Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Epiphyte
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Mexico
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Laelia candida, Laelia discolor
Number of Varieties
325
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
shaded riverbanks, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-89-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-8
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
H1, H2, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Light Pink, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Dark Blue
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, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Fall, Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Divison
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
Needs watering once a week
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
Well-aerated
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove lateral branches
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Use nitrogen rich soil
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Aphids, Bacterial leaf spot, Fusarium wilt
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Aphids, Mites
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
conjunctivitis, Dermatitis, Skin rash
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Very little waste
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Prevention of convulsion, Vasorelaxant
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
-
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Application in Handicrafts, Making Perfumes, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
LAELIA anceps
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Laelia, Orchid
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Laelia
In German
Maus Melone
Laelia
In French
Mousemelon
Laelia
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Laelia
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Laelia
In Portuguese
melão rato
Laelia
In Polish
mysz melona
Laelia
In Latin
mouse melon
Laelia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Orchidales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Orchidaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Laelia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Epidendreae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Epidendroideae
Number of Species
5025
1
27800
👆🏻