Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Fruit
Vegetable
Origin
Central Asia, Southern Asia, Western Ghats, India
Central America, Mexico
Types
congesta, paucinervia
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
23
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Fertile bottom land, moist forests, Temperate Regions, Tropical Forests
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-3
12-1
Sunset Zone
-
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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pale White, White
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Black
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
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged
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
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Compost, fertilize in growing season
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Earwigs, Insects, Mildew, Red blotch, Rust, sawflies
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Dry soil, Heat And Humidity
Cold climate
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Fruit Bats
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Eczema, Mouth itching, Throat itching
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
good for lips, Remove blemishes
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, soil stabilisation
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anemia, Diuretic, Potassium, Rich in Iron, Vitamin C
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Added to salads, Cosmetics, Culinary use, Used as a nutritious food item, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Carissa carandas
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Black Currant
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
करोंदा, कालि मैना
Mousemelon
In German
Carandas
Maus Melone
In French
karondas
Mousemelon
In Spanish
karondas
Mousemelon
In Greek
karondas
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
karondas
melão rato
In Polish
karondas
mysz melona
In Latin
karondas
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Cucurbitales
Family
Apocynaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Carissa
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
1050
1
27800
👆🏻