Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tree
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
North America, United States, Northwestern United States, Alaska, California, Canada
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
130
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Lowland evergreen rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-7
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
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm1,370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Yellow, Red, Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Maritime exposure, Salt water
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Layering, 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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
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 branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Maritime exposure, Salt water
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Insects
Allergy
Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Anodyne, Appetizer, Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Inner Bark, Sap
Other Uses
-
Used as a dye, used for making charcoal, Used for making informal hedge
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
ALNUS rubra
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Oregon Alder, Red Alder
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
red alder
In German
Hornmelone
rot-Erle
In French
Cucumis metulifer
aulne rouge
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
aliso rojo
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
κόκκινη σκλήθρα
In Portuguese
pepino africano
amieiro vermelho
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
czerwony olcha
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
red alnus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Fagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Alnus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
135
1
27800
👆🏻