Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Argentina, Chile
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
12
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Hardwood forests, pine woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
-
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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
White, Purple, Rose, Violet, Plum, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Seedlings, Semi-hardwood cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
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, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Bacterial fruit blotch, Downy mildew, Gall Insects, Mites, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Shade areas
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Insects
Allergy
Toxic
Hives, inflammation in lips, Sore Throat, Swelling in the face
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Glowing Skin, Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Analgesic, Anodyne, Antirheumatic, Antispasmodic, Astringent, Carminative
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves, Stem
Other Uses
-
For making oil, For making oil for cosmetics, Medicinal oil, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Edging, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Gaultheria procumbens
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Eastern teaberry, checkerberry, American wintergreen
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
boxberry
In German
Hornmelone
boxberry
In French
Cucumis metulifer
boxberry
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
boxberry
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
boxberry
In Portuguese
pepino africano
boxberry
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
boxberry
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Burning
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Ericales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Gaultheria
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Gaultherieae
Subfamily
-
Vaccinioideae
Number of Species
1141
1
27800
👆🏻