Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Central America, Mexico
Types
-
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
33
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-97-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
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
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
1,220.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
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
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Cold climate
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
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
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Asthma
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
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 for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
River Birch
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
River Birch
Mousemelon
In German
Fluss Birch
Maus Melone
In French
Birch river
Mousemelon
In Spanish
river Birch
Mousemelon
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
river Birch
melão rato
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
mysz melona
In Latin
Betula
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Cucurbitales
Family
Betulaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Betula
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
350
1
27800
👆🏻