Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
United States, Northwestern United States, California
Central America, Mexico
Types
Phlox adsurgens, Phlox alyssifolia, Phlox amabilis
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
1363
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Moist Soils, Wet ground, Wet lands
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-77-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
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
Plant Size
Minimum Height
243.84 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
91.44 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Blue, Pink, Red, White
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Arrowhead
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
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, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
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
-
Cold climate
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Caterpillar, Flying insects, Insects
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
-
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
-
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Alpine, Container, Cutflower, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
PHLOX douglasii
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Douglas Moss Phlox, Phlox
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Phlox plant
Mousemelon
In German
Phlox Pflanze
Maus Melone
In French
plante Phlox
Mousemelon
In Spanish
planta de Phlox
Mousemelon
In Greek
φυτό phlox
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
planta Phlox
melão rato
In Polish
Phlox roślin
mysz melona
In Latin
plantae Phlox
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ericales
Cucurbitales
Family
Polemoniaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Phlox
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
6750
1
27800
👆🏻