Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Fruit
Origin
North America, South America, Brazil
Africa
Types
Peanut cactus
C melo subsp melo
Number of Varieties
1285
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Sandy areas, Semi desert
gardens, Temperate Regions, Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-4
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 16, 17, 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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Purple, Orange, Rose
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange Red
White, Yellow, Light Yellow, Gold, Tan, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full 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
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
Do Not over Water, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Never Over-water, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
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, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove Vines
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, fertilize in summer, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Scale
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance, Rocky Soil
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
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
Skin cuts
Abdominal pain, breathing problems, Diarrhea, Dizziness, Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Versatility, Very little waste
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Heals minor burns, Heart problems, High blood pressure, Wounds
anti-cancer, Antioxidants, Cardiovascular problems, Combats Stress, Eye Problems, Immunity, Insomnia
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Economic Purpose, Employed in herbal medicine, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
ECHINOPSIS
CUCUMIS melo
Common Name
Hedgehog Cactus, Sea urchin cactus
Cantaloupe, Casaba Melon, Honey Dew, Melon, Muskmelon
In Hindi
हाथी कैक्टस
खरबूजा
In German
Igel Kaktus
Cantaloup Melone
In French
hérisson cactus
Cantaloup
In Spanish
cactus de erizo
Cantalupo
In Greek
κάκτος σκαντζόχοιρος
Πεπονάκι
In Portuguese
hedgehog cactus
Cantalupo
In Polish
jeż kaktus
Kantalupa
In Latin
cactus
cantaloupe
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cactaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Echinopsis
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Trichocereeae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
20002
1
27800
👆🏻