Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tree
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Europe, Nepal, Southern Asia, Southern Europe
Types
-
Myristica fragrans
Number of Varieties
1150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Cold Regions, Hills, Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
7-1
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm1,000.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
All year
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Budding, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, 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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
In Early Autumn, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
fertilize in spring, Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Anthracnose, Armillaria mellea, Blight, Caterpillars, Crown gall, Crown rot, fungus, Powdery mildew, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, 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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Bees, Beetles, Caterpillar, Small mammals
Allergy
Toxic
Abdominal distension, flushing of face, hallucinations, Headache, Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin and hair
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Absorbs greenhouse gases, Absorbs huge amounts of CO2, Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Erosion control, Food for birds, Food for insects, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree, Shelter for wildlife, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Anemia, anti-cancer, Antispasmodic, Asthma, Diarrhea, Healing, Stomach spasms, Thoat infection
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
-
Making deodorants, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in mosquito repellents, Used as a laxative, Used for its medicinal properties, Used for making soaps, Used in biomass
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Groundcover
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Myristica fragrans
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Nutmeg
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
जायफल
In German
Hornmelone
Muskatnuss
In French
Cucumis metulifer
noix de muscade
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
nuez moscada
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
μοσχοκάρυδο
In Portuguese
pepino africano
noz-moscada
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
gałka muszkatołowa
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
nutmeg
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Magnoliales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Myristica
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Myrteae
Subfamily
-
Myrtoideae
Number of Species
12
1
27800
👆🏻