Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tree
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Central United States, Canada
Types
-
Blue ash, Single-leaf ash, Fragrant ash
Number of Varieties
145
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Moist Soils
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99993-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
7-1
Sunset Zone
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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Green, Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Green, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Yellow, Yellow green, Brown, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in fall, Prune in winter, Prune when plant is dormant, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove short twigs
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Wildlife, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Antirheumatic, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Fever, Gout, Laxative, Ophthalmic, Purgative, Sore Eyes, Sore throat, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Inner Bark, Leaves, Tree trunks
Other Uses
-
Basketary, Used as a dye, Used as fuel, Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Shade Trees, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
FRAXINUS nigra
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Black Ash, Brown Ash, Swamp Ash
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
Black Ash plant
In German
Hornmelone
Black Ash Pflanze
In French
Cucumis metulifer
plante Black Ash
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
planta de negro de Ceniza
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
φυτό μαύρη τέφρα
In Portuguese
pepino africano
planta Black Ash
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Black Ash roślin
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Black ash herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Scrophulariales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Oleaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Fraxinus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Oleeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
118
1
27800
👆🏻