Life Span
Annual
Annual and Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Grass
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Africa
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Pennisetum glaucum
Number of Varieties
37
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-88-11
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
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Brown, Cream
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
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
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
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
Requires regular watering
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Deer resistant, 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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
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
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Millet, Pearl Millet
In Hindi
Mousemelon
purple millet
In German
Maus Melone
purple millet
In French
Mousemelon
millet pourpre
In Spanish
Mousemelon
purple millet
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
purple millet
In Portuguese
melão rato
purple millet
In Polish
mysz melona
purple millet
In Latin
mouse melon
purple millet
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Cyperales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Paniceae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
501
1
27800
👆🏻