Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Mexico, Central America
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
CUCURBITA argyrosperma 'Green Striped Cushaw'
CUCURBITA argyrosperma 'Campeche'
CUCURBITA argyrosperma 'Survivor'
Number of Varieties
34
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-88-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
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
A1, A2, 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
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Prostrate/Trailing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
White, Green, Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Dark Green, Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Reniform
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
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
Do Not over Water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Alternaria Leaf Spot, Aphids, Armyworm, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Cabbage looper, Cutworms, Red blotch, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought, Humidity, Moisture
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Beetles, Caterpillar, Cutworms
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Cough, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
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
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers, Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
For making oil
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
CUCURBITA argyrosperma
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Squash
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Squash
In German
Maus Melone
Squash
In French
Mousemelon
Squash
In Spanish
Mousemelon
calabacín
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
σκουός
In Portuguese
melão rato
abóbora
In Polish
mysz melona
kabaczek
In Latin
mouse melon
cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
-
Number of Species
5020
1
27800
👆🏻