Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
-
Number of Varieties
340
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-84-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-1
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
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
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
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
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Insects
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Asthma
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
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Whole plant
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
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Maus Melone
Kracher penstemon
In French
Mousemelon
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
melão rato
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
mysz melona
petarda penstemon
In Latin
mouse melon
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Cucurbitales
Lamiales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
50250
1
27800
👆🏻