Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Fruit, Palm or Cycad, Tree
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
-
Types
-
Cocos nucifera
Number of Varieties
115
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Humid climates, sandy seeps, shores, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99995-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-10
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
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm2,900.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm700.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Yellow Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Golden Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
All year
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Part sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Acidic, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Reduce watering during fall, Water daily during growing season, Water frequently while growing
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Acidic, Slightly Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Part sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut limbs, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Bud rot, Cadang-cadang, Coconut bug, Coconut foliar decay, Coconut scale, Ganoderma butt rot, Gray leaf blight, Lethal bole rot, Lethal yellowing, Mealybugs, nutfall, Red ring nematode, Stem bleeding disease
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Salt
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Toxic
Abdominal pain, Anaphylaxis, cramps, Mouth itching, Nasal Congestion, Nausea, Runny nose, Skin irritation, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin, Good for the Scalp, Hair Conditioner, Heals Damaged Hair, Makes Hair Silkier, Making cosmetics, Removes dandruff, Restores Hair Colour
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Antibacterial, anti-cancer, Antifungal, Antioxidants, Antiviral, Digestion problems, Heart problems, Immunity, Skin Disorders, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Whole plant
Other Uses
-
Air freshner, Animal Feed, Application in Furniture, Application in Handicrafts, For making oil for cosmetics, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Traditional medicine, Used as a nutritious food item, Used as a vegetable oil
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit Tree, Landscape, Tropical
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Cocos nucifera
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Coconut Palm, coconut tree
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
नारियल का पेड़
In German
Hornmelone
Kokospalme
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Cocotier
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
El cocotero
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
καρύδας δέντρο
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Coqueiro
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Drzewo kokosowe
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
dolor ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Arecales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Aceraceae
Genus
Cucumis
Cocos
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Cocoeae
Subfamily
-
Arecoideae
Number of Species
115
1
27800
👆🏻