Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Vegetable
Vegetable
Origin
Central America, Mexico
America
Types
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Cucurbita pepo
Number of Varieties
320
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Wet forest
agricultural areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
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
-
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Bushy, Evergreen
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Gold
Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Heart shaped, toothed with three to five lobes
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Moist, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Pollution, Shade areas, Soil Compaction
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
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Do not water excessively
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
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
cut main flower spike, Proper mowing practices are necessary, Remove damaged fruit
Fertilizers
Compost, organic fertlizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks, Compost
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Bacterial Stem Rot, Mildew, Red blotch, Ring Rot, White spots
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate
Shade areas, Shallow soil, Soil Compaction
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Leafminer, Mice, Rodents
Allergy
Throat itching, Vomiting
Sore Throat, Stomach pain
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
Anti-ageing, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Food for birds
Fixes Nitrogen, Food for animals
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Antibacterial, Antioxidants, Detoxification, Rich in Potassium, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Cattle Fodder, Culinary use, Used as a laxative
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Container, Edible, Herb, Vegetable
Botanical Name
MELOTHRIA scabra
Cucurbita pepo
Common Name
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
Zucchini, courgette
In Hindi
Mousemelon
तोरी
In German
Maus Melone
Zucchini
In French
Mousemelon
Courgette
In Spanish
Mousemelon
calabacín
In Greek
πεπόνι ποντίκι
κολοκύθι
In Portuguese
melão rato
abobrinha
In Polish
mysz melona
Kabaczek
In Latin
mouse melon
zucchini
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cucurbitales
Violales
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cucumis
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
Melothrieae
-
Subfamily
Cucurbitoideae
Solanoideae
Number of Species
50-
1
27800
👆🏻