Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Fruit
Origin
South America, Argentina
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Perennial
-
Number of Varieties
351
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Temperate Regions
Low Elevation, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-5
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
5.10 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Blue, Light Purple, Silver, Sky Blue
Lemon yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Do not water excessively
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Slugs, Snails
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
-
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Ipheion uniflorum
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Common Name
Spring Starflower, Springstar
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
In Hindi
Spring Starflower
Kiwano Melon
In German
Frühling Borretsch
Hornmelone
In French
Spring Starflower
Cucumis metulifer
In Spanish
primavera Flor de estrella
Cucumis metuliferus
In Greek
άνοιξη starflower
Kiwano Melon
In Portuguese
primavera Starflower
pepino africano
In Polish
Wiosna Starflower
Ogórek kiwano
In Latin
Spring Starflower
Kiwano Melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Violales
Family
Liliaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Ipheion
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Gilliesieae
-
Subfamily
Allioideae
-
Number of Species
501
1
27800
👆🏻