Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Western United States, California, Mexico
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Calocedrus decurrens
Number of Varieties
31
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
low mountains, Mountain tops, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-85-8
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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm2,130.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Sandy Brown
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
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
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
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
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
Needs less watering, Water occasionally
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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Birds
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
Stomach pain
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Making Perfumes, Used in pencil industry
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
CALOCEDRUS decurrens
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Incense Cedar
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Incense Cedar
In German
Maus Melone
Zeder
In French
Mousemelon
Encens Cedar
In Spanish
Mousemelon
cedro de incienso
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
θυμίαμα Κέδρος
In Portuguese
melão rato
cedro de incenso
In Polish
mysz melona
kadzidło Cedar
In Latin
mouse melon
incensum Cedar
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Pinopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Pinales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cupressaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Calocedrus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5050
1
27800
👆🏻