Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Vegetable
Origin
Japan
Central America, Mexico
Types
Papyrus, Cyperus alternifolius
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
153
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
ditches, Marshy ground
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-87-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-4
12-1
Sunset Zone
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
Pyramidal
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
460.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red orange
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
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
Dark Green, Bronze
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Umbrella Like
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Rooted stem cutting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Plant grows in water
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
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut out old leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flowers
-
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
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Tonic
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Basketary, Used in paper industry, Weaving into Mats and Bags
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
Cyperus alternifolius
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Galingale,Umbrella Palm
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
mbrella Palm
Mousemelon
In German
Cyperus alternifolius
Maus Melone
In French
Cyperus alternifolius
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Cyperus alternifolius
Mousemelon
In Greek
Umbrella Palm
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Umbrella Palm
melão rato
In Polish
Cibora zmienna
mysz melona
In Latin
Umbrella Palm
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Cucurbitales
Family
Sciadopityaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cyperus
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
950
1
27800
👆🏻