Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Shrub
Origin
Central America, Mexico
China, Japan
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
-
Number of Varieties
35
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
subtropical regions, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-86-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-7
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
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 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White, Silver
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
Reddish Plum
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
White, Dark Green, Sienna
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
White, Dark Green, Sienna
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
White, Dark Green, Sienna
Leaf Color in Winter
-
White, Dark Green, Sienna
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
broad, flat
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Fall, Late Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, root cutting, 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
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
Coral Spot, Leaf spot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Birds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Bonsai, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin irritation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Fixes Nitrogen
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Antiasthamatic, Antitussive, Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Fruits, Leaves, Root, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Hedges, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
Elaeagnus pungens
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Silverthorn
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Silverthorn
In German
Maus Melone
Silverthorn
In French
Mousemelon
Silverthorn
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Silverthorn
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Silverthorn
In Portuguese
melão rato
Silverthorn
In Polish
mysz melona
Silverthorn
In Latin
mouse melon
Silverthorn
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Rhamnales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Elaeagnaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Elaeagnus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5070
1
27800
👆🏻