Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Fruit
Origin
Brazil
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Yellow Bloodleaf, Herbst's Bloodleaf, Standley's Bloodleaf
-
Number of Varieties
701
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
tropical environments
Low Elevation, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
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
15.24 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.32 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Lemon yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Red, Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Red, Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Softwood cuttings, Stem Cutting, Tip cutting
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Balanced liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
-
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
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
Insects, Wildlife
-
Allergy
Pollen
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Indoor Air Purification, Provides ground cover
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
IRESINE herbstii
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Common Name
Bloodleaf, Herbst's bloodleaf
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
In Hindi
Bloodleaf Plant
Kiwano Melon
In German
Bloodleaf Pflanze
Hornmelone
In French
Feuillesang Plante
Cucumis metulifer
In Spanish
Planta Sangrienta
Cucumis metuliferus
In Greek
Bloodleaf φυτών
Kiwano Melon
In Portuguese
Bloodleaf Planta
pepino africano
In Polish
Bloodleaf roślin
Ogórek kiwano
In Latin
Planta Bloodleaf
Kiwano Melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Violales
Family
Amaranthaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Iresine
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Gomphreneae
-
Subfamily
Gomphrenoideae
-
Number of Species
701
1
27800
👆🏻