Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Central America, Mexico
California
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Number of Varieties
33
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Foot Hills, low mountains, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-88-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
-
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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Red, Orange Red
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
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, 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
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
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
Does not require water in summer, Requires watering in the growing season
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, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
-
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Solid Fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Bacterial Diseases, Root Pathogen
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Birds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Acidic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Erosion control
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Body Ache, Stomach pain
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Decoration Purposes, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
HETEROMELES arbutifolia
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Christmas Berry, California Holly
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Toyon
In German
Maus Melone
Toyon
In French
Mousemelon
Toyon
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Toyon
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Toyon
In Portuguese
melão rato
Toyon
In Polish
mysz melona
Toyon
In Latin
mouse melon
Toyon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Rosales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Rosaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Heteromeles
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
Maleae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Amygdaloideae
Number of Species
506
1
27800
👆🏻