Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Central America, Mexico
Types
-
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
503
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Loamy soils, Warmer regions
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Spreading
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Fuchsia
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval Cordate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions, Soil Compaction, Sun
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Do not water the foliage
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
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
A hard prune may be necessary if the plant becomes woody, Cut upper 1/3 section when young to enhancegrowth
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Fertilize every three months
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Bacteria, Birds, Fungal Diseases, Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions, Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Beetles, Bugs, Insects
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Acidic, allergic conjunctivitis
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Hanging Basket, Landscape Designing
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Makes Hair Silkier, Making cosmetics
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Forms dense stands, Provides ground cover, soil stabilisation
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
Leaves, Stem
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Air freshner, Cosmetics, Showy Purposes
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
HETEROCENTRON elegans
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Spanish Shawl
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Heterocentron
Mousemelon
In German
Heterocentron
Maus Melone
In French
Heterocentron
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Heterocentron
Mousemelon
In Greek
Heterocentron
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Heterocentron
melão rato
In Polish
Heterocentron
mysz melona
In Latin
Heterocentron
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Cucurbitales
Family
Melastomataceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Heterocentron
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Abreae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
20050
1
27800
👆🏻