Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Vegetable
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
-
Red Malabar Spinach, Green Malabar Spinach
Number of Varieties
15
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Hot climate regions, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12*7
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, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm24.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Red, Green, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
White, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Do not let dry out between waterings, Requires consistently moist soil
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Aphids
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
-
-
Allergy
Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Folate, Iron, Low calories, Low Fats, Rich in Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
-
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
BASELLA alba
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
पोई
In German
Hornmelone
Malabarspinat
In French
Cucumis metulifer
L’épinard de Malabar
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
espinaca de Malabar
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
Malabar Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Malabar espinafre
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Szpinak Malabar
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Spinach Malabar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Violales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
160
1
27800
👆🏻