Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tree
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Southeastern United States
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Tree
Number of Varieties
3-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Dappled Shade, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-85-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
9-3
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
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Red, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oblong to ablanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
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
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
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam
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
Nitrate based fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Birds
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
Hair Conditioner, Skin Problems
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
Cardiac, Diuretic, Refrigerant, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
It is a remedy for treating fevers, Used in making tea, Used in treatment of mouth ulcers
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
OXYDENDRUM arboreum
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Sourwood
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Sourwood
In German
Maus Melone
Sourwood
In French
Mousemelon
Sourwood
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Sourwood
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Sourwood
In Portuguese
melão rato
Sourwood
In Polish
mysz melona
Sourwood
In Latin
mouse melon
Sourwood
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Ericales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Oxydendrum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Oxydendreae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Vaccinioideae
Number of Species
501
1
27800
👆🏻