Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China
Central America, Mexico
Types
Taonabo japonica, Cleyera ochnacea
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
53
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
secondary forest, Temperate Regions
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-107-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-1
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Red, Bronze
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Red, Dark Green, Bronze
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Does not require lot of watering, occasional watering once established
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
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove dead branches
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Compost
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Downy mildew, Leaf rust, Phytophthora Root Rot, Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Humidity, Soil Compaction
Cold climate
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Fruit Bats, Snails, Squirrels
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Asthma, Nausea, Pollen, sneezing
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Provides herbal hair care, Remove blemishes
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Insect Repellent, Shadow Tree
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Acne, Arthritis, Eczema, Oedema
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes, Traditional medicine
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
TERNSTROEMIA gymnanthera
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Sakaki
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Sakaki
Mousemelon
In German
Sperrstrauch
Maus Melone
In French
Sakaki
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Sakaki
Mousemelon
In Greek
Sakaki
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Sakaki
melão rato
In Polish
Sakaki
mysz melona
In Latin
Sakaki
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Theales
Cucurbitales
Family
Theaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cleyera
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
1850
1
27800
👆🏻