Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Perennial
Fruit
Origin
-
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
501
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Temperate Regions
Low Elevation, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-5
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.30 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
27.90 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue, Lavender
Lemon yellow
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep ground moist, 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, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, as it is a flowering plant, use high phosphorous content fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
-
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Black Dyes
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
-
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
-
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Polemonium caeruleum
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Common Name
Jacob's Ladder
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
In Hindi
Jacob's Ladder
Kiwano Melon
In German
Jacob's Ladder
Hornmelone
In French
Jacob's Ladder
Cucumis metulifer
In Spanish
Jacob's Ladder
Cucumis metuliferus
In Greek
Jacob's Ladder
Kiwano Melon
In Portuguese
Jacob's Ladder
pepino africano
In Polish
Jacob's Ladder
Ogórek kiwano
In Latin
Jacob's Ladder
Kiwano Melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ericales
Violales
Family
Polemoniaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Polemonium
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
401
1
27800
👆🏻