Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Origin
Southern Africa
Central America, Mexico
Types
Carissa Carandas
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Habitat
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11
7-8
Sunset Zone
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
White
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Leaf Shape
Oval to roundish
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Equal amount of N,P,K
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Birds
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Mildly Toxic
Throat itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Medicinal Uses
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Large Num-Num
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
नेटाल बेर
Mousemelon
In German
Natal Plum
Maus Melone
In French
natal Plum
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Ciruela Natal
Mousemelon
In Greek
Natal Plum
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Natal Plum
melão rato
In Polish
Natal Plum
mysz melona
In Latin
Natal Plum
mouse melon
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Cucurbitales
Family
Apocynaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Carisseae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Importance of Natal Plum and Mouse Melon
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Natal Plum and Mouse Melon. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Natal Plum and Mouse Melon as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Natal Plum is Iron, Potassium and Vitamin C whereas of Mouse Melon is Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation and Rich in Iron. Natal Plum has beauty benefits as follows: while Mouse Melon has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Natal Plum vs Mouse Melon
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Natal Plum vs Mouse Melon and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Natal Plum are Mildly Toxic whereas of Mouse Melon have Throat itching and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Natal Plum has showy fruits and Mouse Melon has showy fruits. Also Natal Plum is not flowering and Mouse Melon is not flowering . You can compare Natal Plum and Mouse Melon facts and facts of other plants too.