Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
-
Central America, Mexico
Types
'Bees' Sunset, Buttercup, Nobilis
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
703
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Damp shores, Marshy ground
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-97-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 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
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
111.80 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
71.10 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Orange, Orange Red
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Gray Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long linear and narrow
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established, Requires watering in the growing season
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, 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
Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Skin cleanser, Treatment of Dark Spots
-
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
Whole plant
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
KNIPHOFIA 'Alcazar'
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Red Hot Poker
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Red Hot Poker
Mousemelon
In German
Red Hot Poker
Maus Melone
In French
Red Hot Poker
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Red Hot Poker
Mousemelon
In Greek
Red Hot Poker
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Red Hot Pôquer
melão rato
In Polish
Red Hot Poker
mysz melona
In Latin
Hot Rubrum Poker
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Liliales
Cucurbitales
Family
Liliaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Kniphofia
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Asphodeloideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
7250
1
27800
👆🏻