Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Central America, Mexico
Types
Echinocactus parryi, Echinocactus texensis
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Habitat
Desert, Gravels, Sandy areas
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-15
7-8
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 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
Flower Color
Yellow, Magenta
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
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 Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought, Heat Tolerance, Shade areas
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
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 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 leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
fertilize in summer, Potassium
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Spider mites
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Shade areas
Cold climate
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Coarse
Attracts
Insects, Mealybugs, Spider Mites
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Skin cuts
Throat itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Very little waste
Food for animals, Food for birds
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
ECHINOCACTUS
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Golden barrel cactus, Golden ball
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
echinocactus
Mousemelon
In German
echinocactus
Maus Melone
In French
echinocactus
Mousemelon
In Spanish
echinocactus
Mousemelon
In Greek
Echinocactus
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Echinocactus
melão rato
In Polish
Echinocactus
mysz melona
In Latin
Echinocactus
mouse melon
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cactaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Echinocactus
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Cacteae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Importance of Echinocactus and Mouse Melon
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Echinocactus and Mouse Melon. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Echinocactus and Mouse Melon as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Echinocactus is whereas of Mouse Melon is Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation and Rich in Iron. Echinocactus has beauty benefits as follows: while Mouse Melon has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Echinocactus vs Mouse Melon
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Echinocactus vs Mouse Melon and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Echinocactus are Skin cuts whereas of Mouse Melon have Throat itching and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Echinocactus has no showy fruits and Mouse Melon has showy fruits. Also Echinocactus is not flowering and Mouse Melon is not flowering . You can compare Echinocactus and Mouse Melon facts and facts of other plants too.