Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Europe, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
cinnamomeum, zeylanicum, delavayi
Number of Varieties
35
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Dappled Shade, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-87-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-6
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, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm910.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Brown, Chocolate
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
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
Reduce water once established
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Prune after flowering, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
Doesn't require fertilization when grown in rich soil, Fertilize in early spring, fertilize in winter, Mulch
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Phytophthora, Thripes
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
-
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
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Insect Repellent, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
antimicrobial, Cancer, Dermatitis
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as fuel, Used as insect repellent, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
RHODODENDRON arboreum
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Chalan, Rose Tree, Tree Rhododendron
In Hindi
Mousemelon
लाल बुरांश
In German
Maus Melone
Rhododendron arboreum
In French
Mousemelon
Rhododendron arboreum
In Spanish
Mousemelon
arboreum rododendro
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Rhododendron arboreum
In Portuguese
melão rato
arboreum Rhododendron
In Polish
mysz melona
różanecznik drzewiasty
In Latin
mouse melon
Prunus arborea
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Ericales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Rhododendron
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
501000
1
27800
👆🏻