Life Span
Annual
Annual or Biennial
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Mexico, Central America
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Mexican potato,Mexican yam bean
Number of Varieties
3-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
agricultural areas, Moist Soils, Wet ground
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-89-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-8
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
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm50.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Green, Tan
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
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry soil, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
From bulbs
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
Keep ground moist
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
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
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
Beetles, Leaf spot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Shade areas, Shallow soil
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Butterflies, Mice
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Irritation to stomach, Itchiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Improve skin tone
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Food for animals, Soil protection
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Cold, Fever, Inflammation
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bulbs, Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
PACHYRHIZUS erosus
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Mexican Yam bean
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Pachyrhizus erosus
In German
Maus Melone
Yambohne
In French
Mousemelon
Kłębian kątowaty
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Portuguese
melão rato
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Polish
mysz melona
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Latin
mouse melon
Pachyrhizus erosus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Cucurbitales
Fabales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Pachyrhizus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
50100
1
27800
👆🏻