trefle.io · Taken Jun 7, 2018 by Marco (cc-by-sa)
Cucurbitaceae
Squirting cucumber
Ecballium elaterium
Also known as Exploding cucumber, Momordica elaterium, Ecballium agreste, Ecballium
Native Plants · Squirting Cucumber · Mediterranean · Perennial · Novelty Plant · Cucurbit · Outdoor · Drought Hardy · Unusual Fruit · Herb · Garden Curiosity
Squirting cucumber thrives in a sunny to partially shaded spot with well-drained soil and moderate watering. It is a robust Mediterranean perennial best grown outdoors in a garden bed or large container. Handle the ripe fruits with care, as they explosively eject seeds and irritating sap when touched.
Growing conditions
The details behind the basics
- Daily light
- 6 hours
- Watering
- Water moderately; allow top inch of soil to dry between waterings · Every 7-10 days
- Maintenance
- Moderate
- Soil
- loam
- Soil pH
- 7.5–8
- Temperature
- -20°F to 90°F
- Cycle
- Perennial
- Propagation
- Seed, Division
Hardiness
USDA 4a-9b
Form & growth
Mature size and habit
- Mature height
- 12 in – 3 ft
- Spread
- 2 ft
- Spacing
- 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Root depth
- Medium
- Flowers
- No
- Foliage
- Medium
Ecology & origin
Where it belongs and what it brings
- Native to
- Alabama, Albania, Algeria, Azores, Baleares, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, East Aegean Is., France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Krym, Lebanon-Syria
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies
Sources: trefle
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