Life Span
Annual
Biennial
Type
Fruit
Herbs
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Southern Europe, Western Europe, Russia/Siberia, Central Asia, Western Asia
Types
-
Summer lilac, Winter gilliflower
Number of Varieties
14
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
meadows, Open areas, Roadsides, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
9 - 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
21,22
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
White, Pink, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Average Water Needs, Water when top layer of soil becomes 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, 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
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
-
Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Insects
Allergy
Toxic
Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bouquets, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
-
Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Cutflower, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
HESPERIS matronalis
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Dame's Rocket, Sweet Rocket
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
डेम के रॉकेट
In German
Hornmelone
Rockets Freifrau
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Rocket Dame
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Rocket Dame
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
Rocket Dame του
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Rocket de Dame
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Rocket Dame
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Hesperis Rocket
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Brassicales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Brassicaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Hesperis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Hylocereeae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
150
1
27800
👆🏻