Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Perennial
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Europe, Russia
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Primula elatior
Number of Varieties
31
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Roadsides, sand dunes, Waste areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-84-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
7-1
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
A1, A2, 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
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm25.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Light Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Tan
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
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer
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, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Planting
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
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
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, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in growing season
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Slugs, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Variety of soil types
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Insects
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Abdominal pain, Constipation, Diarrhea, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Borders, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Making cosmetics, Stops hair loss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification, Food for insects, Versatility
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Eczema
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Decoration Purposes, Medicinal oil, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Edging, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
Primula elatior
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Oxlip, true oxlip
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Oxlip
In German
Maus Melone
Hohe Schlüsselblume
In French
Mousemelon
La Primevère élevée ou Primevère des bois
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Primula elatior
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
δακράκι
In Portuguese
melão rato
Oxlip
In Polish
mysz melona
Oxlip
In Latin
mouse melon
Oxlip
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Myrtales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Onagraceae
Genus
Cucumis
Oenothera
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
Onagreae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Onagroideae
Number of Species
50145
1
27800
👆🏻