Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, Northwestern United States, Southwestern United States, Texas, Canada
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Prunus americana
Number of Varieties
3200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
fencerows, Thickets, Upland savannas, Woodlands
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, 10
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Yellow, 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, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Cold climate
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
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
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Needs watering once a week
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
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Prune in the late winter or spring, 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
bees, Borers, Red blotch
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Bees, Birds, Deers
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Mild Allergen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
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
Antioxidants, High cholestrol, Iron, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Food for animals, Used as a nutritious food item, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Screening / Wind Break, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Wildflower
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
PRUNUS americana
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Wild Plum
In Hindi
Mousemelon
जंगली बेर
In German
Maus Melone
wild Plum
In French
Mousemelon
wild Plum
In Spanish
Mousemelon
ciruelo silvestre
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Κορόμηλο
In Portuguese
melão rato
Wild Plum
In Polish
mysz melona
dzikiej śliwy
In Latin
mouse melon
Wild Plum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Rosales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Rosaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Prunus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Amygdaloideae
Number of Species
50430
1
27800
👆🏻