Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tree
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
-
Types
-
Lagerstroemia villosa, Lagerstroemia subcostata, Lagerstroemia microcarpa
Number of Varieties
150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Coastal Regions, Open Forest, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99996-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
10-6
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
H1, H2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Burgundy, Dark Red
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Cylindrical
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
From bulbs, Seedlings, Seperation, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Needs watering once a week, Requires watering in the growing season
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
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 to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
fertilize every 2-3 weeks while growing, fertilize in growing season, Requires high amount of nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Beetles, Insects, 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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
Toxic
allergic reaction, Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Stem, Tree trunks
Other Uses
-
Decoration Purposes, Economic Purpose, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for woodware, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
LAGERSTROEMIA 'Arapaho'
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Hybrid Crapemyrtle
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
क्रेप मेहंदी
In German
Hornmelone
Crapemyrtle
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Crapemyrtle
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Crapemyrtle
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
Crapemyrtle
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Crapemyrtle
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Crapemyrtle
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Crapemyrtle
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Myrtales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Lythraceae
Genus
Cucumis
Lagerstroemia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Lagerstroemieae
Subfamily
-
Lagerstroemieae
Number of Species
150
1
27800
👆🏻