Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Western United States, Mexico
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
1-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
11-1
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
8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Magenta, Rose, Burgundy, Bronze
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Several shades of Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Does not require lot of watering, Water once every two or three weeks, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
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
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
Toxic
Digestive Problems
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Diabetes, Hangover
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
-
Jam
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
CYLINDROPUNTIA imbricata
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Cane Cholla, Walking Stick Cholla, Tree Cholla, Chainlink Cactus
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
Cardenche
In German
Hornmelone
Cardenche
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Cactus rustique
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Cardenche
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
Cardenche
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Cardenche
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Cardenche
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Cardenche
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Dicotyledonae
Order
Violales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Cucumis
-
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae, Maihueniodeae, Opuntioideae, Pereskioideae
Number of Species
1-
1
27800
👆🏻