Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Caribbean, South America
Central America, Mexico
Types
-
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
13
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry Forest, tropical environments
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
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
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
370.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
460.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sky Blue, Indigo
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red, Orange
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Toothed
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
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
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
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
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
-
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Shadow Tree, Shelter for wildlife
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-cancer, Cold, Combats Stress, Detoxification, Immunity
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Bark
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
For making oil, For making oil for cosmetics, Medicinal oil, Oil is used for aromatherapy
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Bursera graveolens
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Common Lignum Vitae, Palo Santo
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
पालो सेंटो
Mousemelon
In German
Palo Santo
Maus Melone
In French
palo santo
Mousemelon
In Spanish
palo santo
Mousemelon
In Greek
palo santo
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
palo santo
melão rato
In Polish
palo santo
mysz melona
In Latin
S. Palo
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Cucurbitales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Bursera
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
10050
1
27800
👆🏻