Life Span
Annual
  
Perennial
  
Type
Vegetable
  
Flowering Plants
  
Origin
Central America, Mexico
  
Northern Africa, Morocco
  
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
  
Not Available
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
  
gardens, Grassland, Roadsides, tropical environments
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-8
  
6-8
  
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
  
8-4
  
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
  
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
  
Habit
Vining/Climbing
  
Clump-Forming
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
  
Orange
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Green
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
  
Light Green, Gray Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
  
Light Green, Gray Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
  
Light Green, Gray Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
  
Egg-shaped
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
  
Spring, 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
  
Neutral, Alkaline
  
Soil Drainage
Well drained
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
  
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
Yes
  
Tolerances
Drought
  
Not Available
  
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
  
Container, Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
  
Seedlings
  
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
  
Form a Soil ring to water efficiently, Requires consistently moist soil, Requires regular watering, Water Deeply
  
In Summer
Lots of watering
  
Lots of watering
  
In Spring
Moderate
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Average Water
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Neutral
  
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
  
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
  
Red blotch
  
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
No
  
No
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Coarse
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Matte
  
Matte
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
  
Skin irritation
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
  
Showy Purposes
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
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
  
Not Available
  
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
  
Whole plant
  
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
  
Culinary use, Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
  
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
  
Alpine, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
  
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
  
PAPAVER atlanticum
  
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
  
Atlas Poppy, Moroccan Poppy
  
In Hindi
Mousemelon
  
मोरक्को के पोस्ता
  
In German
Maus Melone
  
marokkanische Poppy
  
In French
Mousemelon
  
Poppy marocaine
  
In Spanish
Mousemelon
  
marroquí amapola
  
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
  
μαροκινή παπαρούνας
  
In Portuguese
melão rato
  
Moroccan Poppy
  
In Polish
mysz melona
  
marokański Poppy
  
In Latin
mouse melon
  
Moroccan Poppy
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Tracheophyta
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Magnoliopsida
  
Order
Cucurbitales
  
Ranunculales
  
Family
Cucurbitaceae
  
Papaveraceae
  
Genus
Cucumis
  
Papaver
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
  
Angiosperms, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Melothrieae
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
  
Paperveroideae
  
Number of Species
Not Available