Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Grass
Origin
Central America, Mexico
North America, United States, Canada
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Schizachyrium scoparium
Number of Varieties
330
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Hillside, Prairies, Roadsides
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-82-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
7 - 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, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Yellow, Red, Bronze, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Tan, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
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, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Ample Water
In Winter
Average Water
Ample Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
No pruning needed in the early stages, 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
fungus, Leaf spot
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Bees
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
SCHIZACHYRIUM scoparium
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Little Bluestem
In Hindi
Mousemelon
little bluestem
In German
Maus Melone
wenig bluestem
In French
Mousemelon
barbon
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Poco bluestem
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Μικρή bluestem
In Portuguese
melão rato
pouco bluestem
In Polish
mysz melona
trochę bluestem
In Latin
mouse melon
parum bluestem
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Cyperales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Schizachyrium
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
5010
1
27800
👆🏻