Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Herbs
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Europe, Asia
Types
-
Nepeta cataria
Number of Varieties
120
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Dry areas, Roadsides, stream banks, Stream side, Waste areas
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
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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm980.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Arrowhead
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Dry soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, 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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, 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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune in spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing, fertilize in growing season
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Caterpillars, Leaf Hoppers, Nematodes, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Frost
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
-
Flying insects, Insects, Spider Mites
Allergy
Toxic
Avoid during Pregnancy, Headache, Stomach pain, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Arthritis, Cold, constipation, Fever, Insomia, Migraines, Upset stomach
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Whole plant
Other Uses
-
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, Making Perfumes, Making Shampoo, Making Sweet Scented Oil, 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, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
NEPETA cataria
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Cat Nip, Catnip
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
कटनीप
In German
Hornmelone
Katzenminze
In French
Cucumis metulifer
cataire
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Catnip
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
Είδος δυόσμου
In Portuguese
pepino africano
catnip
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Kocimiętka
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
catnip
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Lamiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Nepeta
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Mentheae
Subfamily
-
Nepetoideae
Number of Species
1250
1
27800
👆🏻