Life Span
Annual
Biennial
Type
Fruit
Vegetable
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
-
Types
-
Argentine canola
annua – annual rape and summer rape
swede rape
pabularia – Hanover-salad
Number of Varieties
13
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99996-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
9-3
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
A1, A2, A3, 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
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Yellow, Light Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Tan, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Black, Green, Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
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
Water frequently while growing, Water slowly, and allow to dry completely between soakings
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
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, Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Blackleg, Clubroot, Flea Beetles, Grasshoppers, Lygus bugs, Red blotch, Slugs, Snails, Verticillium Wilt, white rust
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Humidity, Shade areas
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Flea beetles, Moths, Snails
Allergy
Toxic
Asthma, Mild Allergen, Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Diuretic, Emollient
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Leaves, Root
Other Uses
-
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
BRASSICA napus var. napobrassica
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Rutabaga, Swede , Swedish Turnip
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
शलजम
In German
Hornmelone
Steckrübe
In French
Cucumis metulifer
rutabaga
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
nabo sueco
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
μέγα γογγύλιον
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Rotavaga
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Rotavaga
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Rotavaga
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Brassicales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Brassicaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Brassica
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1-
1
27800
👆🏻