Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants, Herbs
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Australia
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Xerochrysum bracteatum
Number of Varieties
350
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-810-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12 - 3
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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm25.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Orange, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Lobed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
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
Needs less watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Loam
Well-aerated
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Loam, Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
General garden fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Pests and diseases free
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought, Heat Tolerance
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double
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
Showy Purposes, Water gardening
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for the Scalp, Removes dandruff, Stops hair loss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Fungicidal
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Oil is used for aromatherapy, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Bog Garden, Lawns and Turf
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
XEROCHRYSUM bracteatum 'Copper'
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Dreamtime Copper Strawflower, Strawflower
In Hindi
Mousemelon
strawflower
In German
Maus Melone
Strohblume
In French
Mousemelon
strawflower
In Spanish
Mousemelon
strawflower
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
strawflower
In Portuguese
melão rato
strawflower
In Polish
mysz melona
strawflower
In Latin
mouse melon
strawflower
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Asterales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Cucumis
Xerochrysum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Gnaphalieae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Asteroideae
Number of Species
507
1
27800
👆🏻