Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Herbs
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Europe, Asia
Types
-
Thodopuza, Red streaked, Alleppey
Number of Varieties
130
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
Loamy soils, Tropical Forests, Tropical regions, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99997-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
9-1
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
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm50.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm100.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Green, Light Green, Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Tan, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long Elliptic
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
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Mid Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
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
Cut back old stems to the ground, Prune after harvesting, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, Fertilize the soil before planting, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Aphids, Leaf Hoppers, Mites, Scale, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Shallow soil
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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Aphids, Caterpillar, Mites, Rabbits, Snails
Allergy
Toxic
Abdominal distension, Blurred vision, Oral Allergy
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Anti-ageing, Blackheads, Blood purifying, Making cosmetics, Natural Sunscreen, Remove blemishes, Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Fixes Nitrogen, Prevent weeds, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Abdominal Disease, Acne, Alzheimer’s Disease, Antibacterial, antimicrobial, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Atherosclerosis, Brain disease, Carminative, Cold, Diarrhea, Digestion problems, Eczema, Liver problems, Menstrual Cramps, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms, Treatment of ulcers, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Whole plant
Other Uses
-
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Used as an ointment, Used as colouring in foods, Used as insect repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Alpine, Cutflower, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Curcuma longa
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Turmeric, Curcuma
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
हल्दी
In German
Hornmelone
Kurkuma
In French
Cucumis metulifer
curcuma
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
Curcuma longa
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
κουρκούμη
In Portuguese
pepino africano
curcuma
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
kurkuma
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
turmeric
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Violales
Zingiberales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Curcuma
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Zingibereae
Subfamily
-
Zingiberoideae
Number of Species
1100
1
27800
👆🏻