Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Central United States, Canada
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Blue ash, Single-leaf ash, Fragrant ash
Number of Varieties
345
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Moist Soils
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-83-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
7-1
Sunset Zone
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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Green, Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Green, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Yellow, Yellow green, Brown, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Prune in fall, Prune in winter, Prune when plant is dormant, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove short twigs
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Birds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Wildlife, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Antirheumatic, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Fever, Gout, Laxative, Ophthalmic, Purgative, Sore Eyes, Sore throat, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Inner Bark, Leaves, Tree trunks
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Basketary, Used as a dye, Used as fuel, Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Shade Trees, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
FRAXINUS nigra
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Black Ash, Brown Ash, Swamp Ash
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Black Ash plant
In German
Maus Melone
Black Ash Pflanze
In French
Mousemelon
plante Black Ash
In Spanish
Mousemelon
planta de negro de Ceniza
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
φυτό μαύρη τέφρα
In Portuguese
melão rato
planta Black Ash
In Polish
mysz melona
Black Ash roślin
In Latin
mouse melon
Black ash herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Scrophulariales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Oleaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Fraxinus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Oleeae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5018
1
27800
👆🏻