Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Sedge or Rush
Vegetable
Origin
Africa
Central America, Mexico
Types
C. papyrus, C. papyrus 'Nanus
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
23
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lakes, Shores of rivers or lakes, sluggish streams and rivers, Swamps
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-117-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Tan
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Poorly Drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering
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
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Poorly 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
fungus
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
-
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Flying insects, Hummingbirds
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Heals minor burns, Wounds
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Stem
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Constructing Boats, Used as fuel, 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
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Water Gardens
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
CYPERUS 'Wild Spike'
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Papyrus, Wild Spike Cyperus
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
पेपिरस संयंत्र
Mousemelon
In German
ägyptischen Papyrus-Pflanze
Maus Melone
In French
Papyrus égyptien
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Papiro egipcio
Mousemelon
In Greek
αιγυπτιακό πάπυρο
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Papiro egípcio
melão rato
In Polish
Papiro egipcio
mysz melona
In Latin
CHARTA
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Agaricomycetes
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cyperaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cyperus
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Cariceae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Cyperoideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
150
1
27800
👆🏻