Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Perennial
Origin
Central America, Mexico
-
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Iris hexagona, Iris fulva
Number of Varieties
3160
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
gardens, Wet ground
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-86-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-5
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
H1, H2, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm81.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm61.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Yellow, Blue, Gold, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Green
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
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long linear and narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Divison, From bulbs, From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
High
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires a lot of watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Ample Water
In Winter
Average Water
Regular watering required
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
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 leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Caterpillars, Rust
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
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
Bouquets, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Bog Garden, Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
IRIS 'Blue Duke'
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Louisiana Iris
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Louisiana Iris
In German
Maus Melone
Louisiana-Iris
In French
Mousemelon
iris louisiane
In Spanish
Mousemelon
iris luisiana
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Λουιζιάνα ίριδας
In Portuguese
melão rato
louisiana iris
In Polish
mysz melona
louisiana tęczówki
In Latin
mouse melon
louisiana iris
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Asparagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Iris
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Irideae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Iridoideae
Number of Species
5080
1
27800
👆🏻