Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Latin America and the Caribbean
Central America, Mexico
Types
Heliconiaceae
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
1943
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Humid climates, Warmer regions
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Thicket/Colonizing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Orange Red
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red, Orange
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
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?
From Rhizomes, Micropropagation
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Fertilize every two months
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red blotch, Soft scales
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Salt
Cold climate
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Insects
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Toxic
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for birds
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Healing
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Root, Seeds
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Florist trade and landscaping
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
HELICONIA psittacorum 'Lady Di'
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Heliconia, Lady Di Heliconia, Parakeet Flower
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Heliconia
Mousemelon
In German
Heliconia
Maus Melone
In French
Heliconia
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Heliconia
Mousemelon
In Greek
Heliconia
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Heliconia
melão rato
In Polish
Heliconia
mysz melona
In Latin
Heliconia
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Cucurbitales
Family
Heliconiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Heliconia
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
19850
1
27800
👆🏻