Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Mediterranean
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Chamaecrista fasciculata Greene fasciculata, Chamaecrista fasciculata Greene macrosperma
Number of Varieties
32
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Dry areas, Open areas, Upland sand prairies, Upland savannas
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
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
A1, A2, 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
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Pink, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Sea Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Compound
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Fall, Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
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 more water during establishment, Water deeply about once a week
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, 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
-
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
-
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Mild Allergen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden
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
Nausia, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Dried heads are used in floristry, Food for animals, Food for insects
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
Chamaecrista fasciculata
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Sleeping Plant, prairie partridge pea, showy partridge pea, prairie senna, large-flowered sensitive-pea,dwarf cassia, partridge pea senna, locust weed,golden cassia
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Partridge Pea
In German
Maus Melone
Partridge Pea
In French
Mousemelon
Partridge Pea
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Partridge Pea
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
πέρδικα μπιζέλι
In Portuguese
melão rato
Partridge Pea
In Polish
mysz melona
Partridge Pea
In Latin
mouse melon
Partridge Pea
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Fabales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Chamaecrista
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
Cassieae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5021
1
27800
👆🏻