Life Span
Perennial
Annual or Biennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Fruit
Origin
Southern Africa
Africa
Types
Perennial
Earlibrew, Honey King, Moonshine, Brilliance,Honey Chow
Number of Varieties
505
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
Semi arid regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-10-9999
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
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
61.30 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
White, Yellow, Salmon
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
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
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Reduce watering once fruit are growing, Requires a lot of watering, Requires consistently moist soil
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 branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
Anthracnose, Aphids, Bacterial fruit blotch, Cucumber beetles, Downy mildew, Southern Bacterial Wilt, Spider mites
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, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Skin irritation
breathing problems, Cough, cramps, Diarrhea, Itchy eyes, Mouth itching, Nasal Congestion, Throat itching, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Seeds
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Added to salads, Used in tea, wine and sweet dishes, Used to flavour soups
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, Vine
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
CUCUMIS melo 'Honey I Dew'
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Honey I Dew Honeydew, Honeydew
In Hindi
African Iris
खरबूज़ा [kharabooza]
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Honigtau
In French
African Iris
Miellat
In Spanish
Iris africano
Gotas de miel
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
πεπόνι μελιτώματος [pepóni melitómatos]
In Portuguese
Iris africano
melão de Honeydew
In Polish
Afryki Iris
melon spadzi
In Latin
African Iris
honeydew
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Cucurbitales
Family
Iridaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Dietes
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
-
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
-
Number of Species
3001
1
27800
👆🏻