Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Fruit
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Crossandra, Firecracker Plant
-
Number of Varieties
501
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Homesteads, Urban areas
Low Elevation, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-9
12-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
40.60 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Orange, Light Yellow, Peach, Orange Red
Lemon yellow
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, 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
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Form a Soil ring to water efficiently, Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water more in summer
Do not water excessively
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cold, Cough, Wounds
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
CROSSANDRA infundibuliformis
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Common Name
Firecracker Flower
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
In Hindi
आबोली
Kiwano Melon
In German
Kracher-Blume
Hornmelone
In French
Firecracker fleur
Cucumis metulifer
In Spanish
flor petardo
Cucumis metuliferus
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα λουλούδι
Kiwano Melon
In Portuguese
flor foguete
pepino africano
In Polish
petarda kwiat
Ogórek kiwano
In Latin
flos Firecracker
Kiwano Melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Violales
Family
Acanthaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Crossandra
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Brodiaeoideae
-
Number of Species
51
1
27800
👆🏻