Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Flowering Plants
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Central America, Mexico
Types
Epiphyllum oxypetalum, Selenicereus grandiflorus
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
303
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
H2
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
Habit
Weeping
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Ivory
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long and slender with very sharp edges
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, 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, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Mealybugs, Root rot, Scale, Viruses
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Diabetes, Hangover
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Fine spines and trichomes are used as fiber for weaving, Used As Food
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Hanging Basket, Houseplant, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Peniocereus greggii
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Night Blooming Cereus, Reina de la noche, Arizona queen of the night
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Night Blooming Cereus
Mousemelon
In German
Nachtblühende Cereus
Maus Melone
In French
Night Blooming Cereus
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Reina de la noche
Mousemelon
In Greek
Night Blooming Cereus
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Night Blooming Cereus
melão rato
In Polish
Noc Blooming Cereus
mysz melona
In Latin
Maria Maria Cereus
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cactaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Peniocereus
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Pachycereeae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
1850
1
27800
👆🏻