Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Types
-
Manihot esculenta, Euphorbia esula
Number of Varieties
1-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Desert, rocky banks of streams, Sandy stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
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
21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Spores, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Do not water frequently
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
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
Insignificant
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Toxic
allergic conjunctivitis, Toxic, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Laxative
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
-
Other Uses
-
Used to poison animals during hunting
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
EUPHORBIA virosa
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Gifboom
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
Gifboom
In German
Hornmelone
Namibische Giftwolfmilch
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Euphorbia virosa
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Euphorbia virosa
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
Euphorbia virosa
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Euphorbia virosa
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Euphorbia virosa
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Euphorbia virosa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Violales
Malpighiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Euphorbia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Euphorbioideae
Number of Species
1-
1
27800
👆🏻