Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Perennial
Origin
Central America, Mexico
South Africa
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Asteraceae
Number of Varieties
325
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-810-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
6-1
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
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm20.30 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Light Purple, Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Gray Green, Silver
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Elliptic, toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, 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
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
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Aphids, Caterpillars, Root rot, Spider mites, Stem rot, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Bees, Butterflies, Insects
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
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Air freshner, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
OSTEOSPERMUM 'Aksullo'
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
African daisy, Blue-eyed daisy
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Cape Daisy
In German
Maus Melone
Cape Daisy
In French
Mousemelon
Cape Daisy
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Margarita del Cabo
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Cape Daisy
In Portuguese
melão rato
Cape Daisy
In Polish
mysz melona
Cape Daisy
In Latin
mouse melon
Cape Daisy
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Asterales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Cucumis
Osteospermum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Calenduleae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Asteroideae
Number of Species
5085
1
27800
👆🏻