Life Span
Annual or Biennial
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Central America, Mexico
Types
Mexican potato,Mexican yam bean
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
-3
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Moist Soils, Wet ground
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 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
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Lavender
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Tan
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry soil, Shallow soil
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
From bulbs
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well 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
Beetles, Leaf spot, Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas, Shallow soil
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Mice
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Irritation to stomach, Itchiness
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin tone
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Soil protection
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cold, Fever, Inflammation
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Bulbs, Root
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
PACHYRHIZUS erosus
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Mexican Yam bean
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Pachyrhizus erosus
Mousemelon
In German
Yambohne
Maus Melone
In French
Kłębian kątowaty
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Pachyrhizus erosus
Mousemelon
In Greek
Pachyrhizus erosus
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Pachyrhizus erosus
melão rato
In Polish
Pachyrhizus erosus
mysz melona
In Latin
Pachyrhizus erosus
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Tracheophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Cucurbitales
Family
Fabaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Pachyrhizus
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
10050
1
27800
👆🏻