Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
South America, Argentina, Brazil
Central America, Mexico
Types
Chorisia speciosa
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
103
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Pink, Rose, Burgundy, Ivory
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Sandy Brown
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Elliptic
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, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Fall, Early Winter
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water frequently, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Water Deeply
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Seeds, Stem
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used for producing cooking oil, Used in paper industry
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
CHORISIA speciosa
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Chorisia, Floss Silk Tree, Silk Floss Tree
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Chorisia
Mousemelon
In German
Chorisia
Maus Melone
In French
Chorisia
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Chorisia
Mousemelon
In Greek
Chorisia
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Chorisia
melão rato
In Polish
Chorisia
mysz melona
In Latin
Chorisia
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malvales
Cucurbitales
Family
Bombacaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Ceiba
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Bombacoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
2050
1
27800
👆🏻