Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, Texas, Canada
Central America, Mexico
Types
-
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
253
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Wet lands
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-97-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 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
Upright/Erect
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
240.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
300.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Orange, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Orange, Orange Red
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
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
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
Insignificant
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Irritate the mucus membrane, Rash, Skin irritation
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
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
Sap
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used to make a black varnish for use in woodworking
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
TOXICODENDRON vernix
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Poison Dogwood, Poison Elderberry, Poison Sumac, Swamp Sumac
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
toxicodendron vernix
Mousemelon
In German
toxicodendron vernix
Maus Melone
In French
TOXICODENDRON vernix
Mousemelon
In Spanish
vérnix TOXICODENDRON
Mousemelon
In Greek
Toxicodendron vernix
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
TOXICODENDRON vernix
melão rato
In Polish
toxicodendron vernix
mysz melona
In Latin
Natrum vernix
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Cucurbitales
Family
Anacardiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Toxicodendron
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
3550
1
27800
👆🏻