Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Fruit
Vegetable
Origin
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
America
Types
-
Cucurbita pepo
Number of Varieties
120
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Low Elevation, Woodlands
agricultural areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
-
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
-
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Bushy, Evergreen
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
10.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Lemon yellow
Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Purple, Black
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
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Heart shaped, toothed with three to five lobes
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Moist, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Pollution, Shade areas, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
reseeds, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Do not water excessively
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
Clay, 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
cut main flower spike, Proper mowing practices are necessary, Remove damaged fruit
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Balanced liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks, Compost
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Bacterial Stem Rot, Mildew, Red blotch, Ring Rot, White spots
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shade areas, Shallow soil, Soil Compaction
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Leafminer, Mice, Rodents
Allergy
Toxic
Sore Throat, Stomach pain
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Fixes Nitrogen, Food for animals
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Vermifuge
Antibacterial, Antioxidants, Detoxification, Rich in Potassium, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
-
Cattle Fodder, Culinary use, Used as a laxative
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Edible, Herb, Vegetable
Botanical Name
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Cucurbita pepo
Common Name
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
Zucchini, courgette
In Hindi
Kiwano Melon
तोरी
In German
Hornmelone
Zucchini
In French
Cucumis metulifer
Courgette
In Spanish
Cucumis metuliferus
calabacín
In Greek
Kiwano Melon
κολοκύθι
In Portuguese
pepino africano
abobrinha
In Polish
Ogórek kiwano
Kabaczek
In Latin
Kiwano Melon
zucchini
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Violales
Violales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Solanoideae
Number of Species
1-
1
27800
👆🏻