Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Cactus
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
-
Types
-
Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus
Number of Varieties
16
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
subtropical regions, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999913-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-10
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
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm15.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Cylindrical
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Very Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Needs very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
Loam
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial 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
Showy
-
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
Toxic
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Soothing and relieving pain
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Flowers
Other Uses
-
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
-
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Schlumbergera truncata
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Schlumbergera, false Christmas cactus, Christmas cactus
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
Schlumbergera
In German
Hornmelone
Schlumbergera
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Schlumbergera
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Schlumbergera
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
Schlumbergera
In Portuguese
pepino africano
Schlumbergera
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Schlumbergera
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
Gymnocalycium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Schlumbergera
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Rhipsalideae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
16
1
27800
👆🏻