Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Fruit
Origin
Europe, Turkey, Central Asia, Western Asia
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Colchicum cupanii, Colchicum alpinum
-
Number of Varieties
451
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Fields, meadows, Rocky areas, Shaded sites, Woodlands
Low Elevation, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-5
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
7.60 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
7.60 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Purple, Violet
Lemon yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall, Winter, Late Winter
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Medium, Needs less watering, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water less during winter
Do not water excessively
In Summer
Ample Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Less Watering
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Less fertilizing
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double
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
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Kidney Disease, Low blood pressure, Stomach pain, Toxic, Vomiting
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, Diarrhea, Diuretic, Rheumatism
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Alpine, Container, Cutflower, Foundation, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
COLCHICUM
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Common Name
Colchicum
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
In Hindi
colchicum
Kiwano Melon
In German
colchicum
Hornmelone
In French
colchique
Cucumis metulifer
In Spanish
Colchicum
Cucumis metuliferus
In Greek
Colchicum
Kiwano Melon
In Portuguese
Colchicum
pepino africano
In Polish
Colchicum
Ogórek kiwano
In Latin
Colchicum
Kiwano Melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Liliales
Violales
Family
Liliaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Colchicum
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Wurmbaeiodeae
-
Number of Species
1601
1
27800
👆🏻