Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Fruit
Origin
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
7001
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
Low Elevation, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-5
12-5
Sunset Zone
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
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
10.20 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Pink
Lemon yellow
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Needle like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Ammonium Nitrate
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
-
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Skin inflammation
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for insects
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
CALLUNA vulgaris
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Common Name
Heather, Common heather, Ling
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
In Hindi
हीथ
Kiwano Melon
In German
Heidekraut
Hornmelone
In French
bruyère
Cucumis metulifer
In Spanish
brezo
Cucumis metuliferus
In Greek
ερείκη
Kiwano Melon
In Portuguese
urze
pepino africano
In Polish
wrzos
Ogórek kiwano
In Latin
Heather
Kiwano Melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ericales
Violales
Family
Ericaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Calluna
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Ericeae
-
Subfamily
Ericoideae
-
Number of Species
8601
1
27800
👆🏻