Life Span
Annual
Biennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Australia
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Narrowleaf Bottle Tree, Pink Flame Tree, Rusty Kurrajong
Number of Varieties
330
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Subtropical climates, Subtropical forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-89-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-9
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
H1, H2, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm2,743.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm1,500.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Crimson, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Dark Red, Sienna, Chocolate
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Red, Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Lobed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Grafting, 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, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought, Pollution
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
allergic reaction, Skin irritation
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, Shadow Tree, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Root, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
BRACHYCHITON rupestris
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Australian Flame Tree, Flame Bottle Tree, Illawarra Flame Tree
In Hindi
Mousemelon
बोतल ट्री
In German
Maus Melone
Flaschenbaum
In French
Mousemelon
Bouteille Arbre
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Árbol de la botella
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Μπουκάλι Δέντρο
In Portuguese
melão rato
Bottle Tree
In Polish
mysz melona
Butelka Drzewo
In Latin
mouse melon
Utrem ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Malvales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Sterculiaceae
Genus
Cucumis
brachychiton
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
Sterculieae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Sterculioideae
Number of Species
5030
1
27800
👆🏻