Life Span
Annual
Biennial
Type
Fruit
Tree
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Mexico
Types
-
Cat palm, Date palm, Old Man palm
Number of Varieties
11
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
gardens, Grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999912-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-1
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
H1, H2, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm365.76 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Ivory
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
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long hair-like leaves
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
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
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
-
Bugs, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Mites, Spider Mites
Allergy
Toxic
Blurred vision, Diarrhea, Rash, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
-
Other Uses
-
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Houseplant, Tropical
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
BEAUCARNEA recurvata
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Bottle Palm, Ponytail Palm
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
Ponytail Palm
In German
Hornmelone
Pferdeschwanz Palm
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Ponytail Palm
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Cola de caballo de palma
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
αλογοουρά παλάμη
In Portuguese
pepino africano
rabo- de palma
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
kucyk palmowy
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
ponytail palmarum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Asparagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Beaucarnea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
110
1
27800
👆🏻