Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Madagascar
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Pachypodium boronii, Pachypodium brevicaule, Pachypodium rosulatum
Number of Varieties
38
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
gardens, Rocky areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-10
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, 13, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Light Green, Purplish-black
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
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
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
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
Water less during winter, Water more in summer
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
Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full 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
-
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Poisonous, Skin cuts
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
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
-
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
PACHYPODIUM geayi
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Madagaskar Palm
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Pachypodium
In German
Maus Melone
Pachypodium
In French
Mousemelon
Pachypodium
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Pachypodium
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Pachypodium
In Portuguese
melão rato
Narrowleaf estrela do deserto
In Polish
mysz melona
Wąskolistne pustyni gwiazdki
In Latin
mouse melon
Pachypodium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Gentianales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Cucumis
pachypodium
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Malouetieae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Apocynoideae
Number of Species
5025
1
27800
👆🏻