Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
China, Korea
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Castanea mollissima
Number of Varieties
320
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
disturbed sites, Forest edges
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-84-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
8-1
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
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Light Green, Chartreuse
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Yellow, Gold, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Lobed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Do Not over Water, Medium, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Adequately
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Prune in fall, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Beetles, Leafhoppers
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Mild Allergen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Low calories, Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Food for animals, Used as firewood, Used As Food, Used in biomass
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Edible, Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
CASTANEA mollissima
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Chinese Chestnut
In Hindi
Mousemelon
चीनी अखरोट
In German
Maus Melone
chinesische Kastanie
In French
Mousemelon
châtaignier chinois
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Castaño chino
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Κινέζικο κάστανο
In Portuguese
melão rato
castanha chinesa
In Polish
mysz melona
Kasztan chiński
In Latin
mouse melon
Chinese Chestnut
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Fagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Fagaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Castanea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
Gloxinieae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Cassidinae
Number of Species
5015
1
27800
👆🏻