Life Span
Annual
Annual
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Vegetable
Origin
Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Mediterranean, Turkey, Western Asia
Central America, Mexico
Types
Mountain silverbell , Rosea
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
33
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, low mountains, Lower slopes, secondary forest
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-97-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
25.40 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Acuminate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
-
Loam
The pH of Soil
-
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Layering, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
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
Soil Type
-
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune grass to maintain level, 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
Pests and diseases free
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought and Salt
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flying insects
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
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
Decoration Purposes
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
ORNITHOGALUM nutans
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Drooping Star-of-Bethlehem, Nodding Star-of-Bethlehem, Silver Bells
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Silver bells
Mousemelon
In German
Silver bells
Maus Melone
In French
Silver bells
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Silver bells
Mousemelon
In Greek
Silver bells
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Silver bells
melão rato
In Polish
Silver bells
mysz melona
In Latin
Silver bells
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ebenales
Cucurbitales
Family
Asparagaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Halesia
Cucumis
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
450
1
27800
👆🏻