Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Fruit
Origin
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Not avilable
-
Number of Varieties
101
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert
Low Elevation, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-5
Sunset Zone
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Weeping
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
4.20 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Lemon yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
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
Succulent
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Alkaline, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Soil Type
-
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Semi-Double
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Itchiness
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
-
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Nut
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Selenicereus pteranthus
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Common Name
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
In Hindi
moonlight cactus
Kiwano Melon
In German
Selenicereus
Hornmelone
In French
Selenicereus
Cucumis metulifer
In Spanish
Selenicereus
Cucumis metuliferus
In Greek
Selenicereus
Kiwano Melon
In Portuguese
Selenicereus
pepino africano
In Polish
Selenicereus
Ogórek kiwano
In Latin
moonlight cactus
Kiwano Melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Violales
Family
Cactaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Selenicereus
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Hylocereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
11
1
27800
👆🏻