Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
-
Number of Varieties
33
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-84-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-1
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
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, 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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
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 a lot of watering, 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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, 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 in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
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
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
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 for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
River Birch
In Hindi
Mousemelon
River Birch
In German
Maus Melone
Fluss Birch
In French
Mousemelon
Birch river
In Spanish
Mousemelon
river Birch
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
melão rato
river Birch
In Polish
mysz melona
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
mouse melon
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Fagales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
503
1
27800
👆🏻