Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Tender Perennial
Origin
Central America, Mexico
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Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
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Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
Lawn, Pastures, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-8
9-11
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
9, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Spreading
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Orange, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Light Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green, Sea Green, Silver
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Three Lobed
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
Get enough water whenever the soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun
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
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
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Foliage Texture
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Butterflies
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Irritation to stomach
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
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Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
anti inflammatory, Antispasmodic, Cardiotonic, Carminative, Febrifuge
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Seedpod
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used for making green dye
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
Lotus corniculatus
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Trefoil
In Hindi
Mousemelon
तिपतिया घास
In German
Maus Melone
Gewöhnlicher Hornklee
In French
Mousemelon
Lotier corniculé
In Spanish
Mousemelon
Lotus corniculatus
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
Trefoil
In Portuguese
melão rato
Lotus corniculatus
In Polish
mysz melona
Komonica zwyczajna
In Latin
mouse melon
trefoil
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Fabales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Fabaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
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