Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Northern Africa, South Africa
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Xanthium strumarium canadense, Xanthium strumarium glabratum, Xanthium strumarium strumarium
Number of Varieties
33
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Clay soil areas, Farms, Roadsides
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
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
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm5.10 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Yellow, Red, Burgundy
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Brown, 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
-
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Summer, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
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, Do Not over Water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
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
Analgesic, Antibacterial, Antispasmodic, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
Xanthium strumarium
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Cocklebur
In Hindi
Mousemelon
cocklebur
In German
Maus Melone
Klette
In French
Mousemelon
cocklebur
In Spanish
Mousemelon
cadillo
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
ήρα
In Portuguese
melão rato
kokklevor
In Polish
mysz melona
kokklevor
In Latin
mouse melon
kokklevor
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Asterales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Asclepiadaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Xanthium
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Heliantheae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Asteroideae
Number of Species
50200
1
27800
👆🏻