Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
China
Types
-
Viburnum rhytidophyllum
Number of Varieties
1150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Cold Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99995-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
-
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
Narrow Upright/Fastigiate
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Red, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Lanceolate to elliptical
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Light Frost
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Keep ground moist, Keep the Soil well drained
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
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
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
Aphids, Beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Light 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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, pollinators
Allergy
Toxic
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Farmland, Wild gardens
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
-
Other Uses
-
Acts as a natural source of rain water for birds and insects., Beneficial species for attracting pollinators
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
VIBURNUM rhytidophyllum
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
leatherleaf plant
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
Leatherleaf Viburnum
In German
Hornmelone
Runzelblättriger Schneeball
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Viburnum rhytidophyllum
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Viburnum rhytidophyllum
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
Viburnum rhytidophyllum
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Kalina sztywnolistna
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Kalina sztywnolistna
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
leatherleaf viburnum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Dipsacales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Caprifoliaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Viburnum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1150
1
27800
👆🏻