Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Fruit
Origin
Southern Africa, South Africa
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Ornithogalum Umbellatum
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
Ornithogalum dubium
Ornithogalum arabicum
Ornithogalum nutans
-
Number of Varieties
601
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Grassland
Low Elevation, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-10-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-7
12-5
Sunset Zone
21,22
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
20.30 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Orange, Gold
Lemon yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, From bulbs
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Do not water excessively
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
-
-
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bog Garden, Borders, Decorating walls
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Root
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
-
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
ORNITHOGALUM dubium
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Common Name
Snake Flower, Sun Star, Yellow Chincherinchee
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
In Hindi
Sun Star
Kiwano Melon
In German
Sun Star
Hornmelone
In French
Sun Star
Cucumis metulifer
In Spanish
Sun Star
Cucumis metuliferus
In Greek
Sun Star
Kiwano Melon
In Portuguese
Sun Star
pepino africano
In Polish
Sun Star
Ogórek kiwano
In Latin
Sun Star
Kiwano Melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Platyhelminthes
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Violales
Family
Asparagaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Ornithogalum
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Ornithogaleae
-
Subfamily
Scilloideae
-
Number of Species
501
1
27800
👆🏻