Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Trees
Origin
Central America, Mexico
China, Korea
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Sophora japonica
Number of Varieties
310
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Humid climates, Loamy soils, Low annual rainfall regions, Wet ground, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-85-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-5
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, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Oval or Rounded
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 Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Transplanting
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
occasional watering once established, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Less Watering
In Spring
Moderate
Less Watering
In Winter
Average Water
Drought Tolerant
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Leaf spot, Red blotch, Woodpecker feeding
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought, Dry soil, Soil Compaction
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
Bees, Hummingbirds, Woodpeckers
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Eczema, Nausea, Swelling in the face
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Bouquets, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Nourishes scalp, Restores Hair Colour, Stops hair loss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification, Erosion control, Forms dense stands, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Diuretic, Fever, Muscle Pain, Vomiting
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as a laxative, Used as firewood, Used as Ornamental plant, Used in construction
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Shade Trees, Street Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
SOPHORA japonica
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Chinese Scholartree, Japanese Pagoda
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Gobur champ
In German
Maus Melone
Japanischer Schnurbaum
In French
Mousemelon
Styphnolobium japonicum
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Styphnolobium japonicum
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Styphnolobium japonicum
In Portuguese
melão rato
Styphnolobium japonicum
In Polish
mysz melona
Perełkowiec japoński
In Latin
mouse melon
Styphnolobium japonicum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Fabales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Styphnolobium
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
Sophoreae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Faboideae
Number of Species
5020
1
27800
👆🏻