Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southern Africa
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Carissa Carandas
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-8
9-11
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
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Cushion/Mound-forming
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval to roundish
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
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 pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
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
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Birds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Mildly Toxic
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
Mousemelon
नेटाल बेर
In German
Maus Melone
Natal Plum
In French
Mousemelon
natal Plum
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
melão rato
Natal Plum
In Polish
mysz melona
Natal Plum
In Latin
mouse melon
Natal Plum
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Gentianales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Apocynaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Carisseae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Rauvolfioideae
Season and Care of Mouse Melon and Natal Plum
Season and care of Mouse Melon and Natal Plum is important to know. While considering everything about Mouse Melon and Natal Plum Care, growing season is an essential factor. Mouse Melon season is Summer and Fall and Natal Plum season is Summer and Fall. The type of soil for Mouse Melon is Loam and for Natal Plum is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Mouse Melon is Neutral and for Natal Plum is Acidic, Neutral.
Mouse Melon and Natal Plum Physical Information
Mouse Melon and Natal Plum physical information is very important for comparison. Mouse Melon height is 15.20 cm and width 180.00 cm whereas Natal Plum height is 60.00 cm and width 60.00 cm. The color specification of Mouse Melon and Natal Plum are as follows:
Mouse Melon flower color: Yellow and Gold
Mouse Melon leaf color: Light Green
Natal Plum flower color: White
- Natal Plum leaf color: Dark Green
Care of Mouse Melon and Natal Plum
Care of Mouse Melon and Natal Plum include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Mouse Melon pruning is done Prune after flowering and Remove shoots and Natal Plum pruning is done Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches and Remove dead leaves. In summer Mouse Melon needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Natal Plum needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.