Life Span
Annual
Biennial or Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Central America, Mexico
Europe
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Leaf beet, Seakettle beet, Spinach beet
Number of Varieties
36
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-84-8
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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Red, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Dark Green, Green, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
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
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
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
Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Cercospora leaf spot, Damping off, Darkling beetles, Downy mildew
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Insects
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
dark circles, Diarrhea, Runny nose, Vomiting, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
Moisturizing, Remove blemishes, Slow downs aging, Speed hair growth
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
Antitumor, Carminative, Haemostatic, Stomachic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Cultivated for fodder, Eaten as a pot herb, Used to make juice
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
BETA vulgaris ssp. cicla
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Swiss Chard
In Hindi
Mousemelon
Swiss Chard
In German
Maus Melone
Swiss Chard
In French
Mousemelon
Chard suisse
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Acelgas
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Σέσκουλο
In Portuguese
melão rato
Acelga suíça
In Polish
mysz melona
Boćwina
In Latin
mouse melon
Swiss Chard
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Beta
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Melothrieae
Cyclolobeae
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Betoideae
Number of Species
503
1
27800
👆🏻