Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tree
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
1-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999910-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-9
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
H2, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm1,370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm1,520.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
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
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires a lot of watering
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
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
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Red blotch
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
constipation, Diarrhea, Digestive disorders, Dysentry, Fever, Tooth ache
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
-
Making Shampoo, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
ALEURITES moluccanus
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Candleberry, Candlenut, Kukui
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
candlenut पेड़
In German
Hornmelone
Candlenut Baum
In French
Cucumis metulifer
arbre Candlenut
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
árbol candlenut
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
candlenut δέντρο
In Portuguese
pepino africano
candlenut árvore
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Tung Molukański drzewo
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Candlenut ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Dicotyledonae
Order
Violales
Malpighiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Aleurites
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Aleuritideae
Subfamily
-
Crotonoideae
Number of Species
1600
1
27800
👆🏻