Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Asia, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
-
Number of Varieties
320
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
secondary forest, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-83-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
8-1
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Light Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Gray Green, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Yellow green, Sandy Brown, Ivory
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
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, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Grafting, 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
Average Water Needs
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
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Prune in the growing season, pruning needed for strong structure, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Compost, High phosphorus
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Aphids, Downy mildew, Leaf rust, Mites, Squirrels
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Salt and Soil Compaction, Sun
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Squirrels
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Maintains teeth healthy, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Shelter for wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Antibiotic, anti-cancer, Anti-oxidant, Cardiovascular problems, Diarrhea, Fever, Improve heart health
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Culinary use, Grown for shade, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
Annona reticulate
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
wild-sweetsop, bullock's-heart, ox-heart
In Hindi
Mousemelon
ramphal
In German
Maus Melone
Netzannone
In French
Mousemelon
cachiman, cœur de bœuf
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Annona reticulata
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Ramphal
In Portuguese
melão rato
coração-de-boi
In Polish
mysz melona
Flaszowiec siatkowaty
In Latin
mouse melon
Ramphal
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Magnoliales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Tiliaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Annona
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Magnoliids
Tribe
Melothrieae
Annoneae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Annonoideae
Number of Species
50170
1
27800
👆🏻