Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Aquatics
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, Western United States, California, Canada
Types
-
Typha angustifolia
Number of Varieties
13
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Bog Garden, Ponds
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99993-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
10-1
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
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Light Yellow, Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Flat, Narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Needs Very high moisture
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
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nutrient Rich Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
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
-
Wildlife
Allergy
Toxic
Mild Allergen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cut Flowers, Wild gardens
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
anticoagulant, Diuretic, Haemostatic, Miscellany
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
-
Used as a thickener in soups, Used to make biscuits, Used to produce edible oil, Used to yield a sweet syrup
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
TYPHA angustifolia
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Narrowleaf Cattail, Lesser Reedmace
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
Narrowleaf Cattail
In German
Hornmelone
Schmalblättriger Cattail
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Narrowleaf Cattail
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Espadaña de hoja estrecha
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
στενόφυλλα Cattail
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Narrowleaf Tifa
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Wąskolistne Cattail
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Cattail glaucescens
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Typhales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Typhaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Typha
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
130
1
27800
👆🏻