Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Central America, Mexico
Types
-
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
303
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Hot climate regions
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
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
Rosette/Stemless
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
270.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Blue Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Leaf Cutting, Stem Cutting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Needs less 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
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
Does not require fertilizer once established
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance
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
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
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
-
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
DASYLIRION berlandieri
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Blue Giant,
Blue Twister,
Desert Spoon
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Zaragosa
Mousemelon
In German
Zaragoza
Maus Melone
In French
Saragosse
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Zaragoza
Mousemelon
In Greek
Σαραγόσα
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Zaragoza
melão rato
In Polish
Saragossa
mysz melona
In Latin
Caesaraugusta
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Chordata
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Squamata
Cucurbitales
Family
Agavaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Gonyosoma
Cucumis
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Colubrinae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
3050
1
27800
👆🏻