Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Canada
Central America, Mexico
Types
-
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
23
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Hardwood forests
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-77-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
12.70 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
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
Clay, Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove deadheads, Requires very little pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
No fertilizers needed
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diuretic
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Root
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
-
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Groundcover
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
JEFFERSONIA diphylla
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
-
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Twinleaf
Mousemelon
In German
Twinleaf
Maus Melone
In French
Twinleaf
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Twinleaf
Mousemelon
In Greek
Twinleaf
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Twinleaf
melão rato
In Polish
Twinleaf
mysz melona
In Latin
Twinleaf
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ranunculales
Cucurbitales
Family
Berberidaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Jeffersonia
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
250
1
27800
👆🏻