Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
North America, Europe, Africa, Asia
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
11
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Alpine Meadows, meadows, Mountains, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
8-1
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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm91.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Crimson, Pink, Red, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial 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
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Cuttings, From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Keep the Soil well drained, occasional watering once established
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
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Prune after flowering, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Compost, Organic Flower Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Aphids, Bacteria wilt, Pink Root, Red blotch, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shallow soil, Soil Compaction
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
-
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Toxic
Red eyes, Vomiting, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
-
Good Cleanser, Good for the Scalp
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Antibacterial, Antifungal, Anti-oxidant, Eczema, hemorrhoids
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Leaf Stalks, Stem
Other Uses
-
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Spigelia marilandica
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Woodland pinkroot, Indian pink
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
pinkroot
In German
Hornmelone
Spigelia
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Spigelia
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Spigelia
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
Spigelia
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Spigelia
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Spigelia
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Spigelia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Gentianales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Loganiceae
Genus
Cucumis
Spigelia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
160
1
27800
👆🏻