Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southern Africa
Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Perennial
-
Number of Varieties
5020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
along watercourse, Grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-1010-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-8
12-4
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Prostrate/Trailing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.30 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
Green, Crimson, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Irregular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
High
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Requires consistently moist soil, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
brown-spot needle blight, Cutworms, Downy mildew, Flea beetle, Flea Beetles, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Powdery mildew, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
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, Butterflies
Bees, Insects, Squirrels
Allergy
Skin irritation
Stomach pain, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects, Versatility
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
High blood pressure, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in making beverages
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
CITRULLUS lanatus 'Crimson Sweet'
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Crimson Sweet Watermelon, Watermelon
In Hindi
African Iris
तरबूज़
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Wassermelone
In French
African Iris
Citrullus lanatus
In Spanish
Iris africano
Citrullus lanatus
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
καρπούζι
In Portuguese
Iris africano
Citrullus lanatus
In Polish
Afryki Iris
Citrullus lanatus
In Latin
African Iris
Citrullus lanatus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Embryophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Cucurbitales
Family
Iridaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Dietes
Citrullus
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Irideae
Benincaseae
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
3001000
1
27800
👆🏻