Cucumis metuliferus (F)

RHS Plant Profile
African horned cucumber

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African horned cucumber visionspictures.com

Other common names

horned melon, jelly melon, kiwano

Annual Biennial Fruit Edible

A climbing or scrambling annual which reaches 2.5m. It has green lobed leaves and yellow flowers. These develop into horned fruit the size of an egg, which ripen to a golden yellow. The flesh and pips inside are green

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam

Max Height

2.5-4 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1 year
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
2.5-4 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H1C

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Cucurbitaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Climbing, Trailing
Potentially harmful
Pets: Bitter fruit can be TOXIC if eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus
Cucumis is a genus of twining plants with tendrils which includes cucumber, melons and gerkins. Around 30 species are native to Africa and 25 to India, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Name Status
Correct
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

This genus produces fruit, but not necessarily edible fruit

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a warm sheltered spot or under glass, in moist soil with good drainage and full sun. For more advice see melon cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Edible fruit
  • Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and cucumber mosaic virus