Decoration Cucumis Cucumber or African Horned Decoration Cucumber are annual vines spreading over the ground and are native of arid regions in southern Africa. They have usually small yellow flowers, which are followed by most decorative, colorful, ovoid to oblong fruits with warty spines, turning to bright yellow or orange orange-yellow with maturity. The fruits last for a very long time and are usually used for decoration purposes. Plants can be cultivated with a climbing aid (e.g. on a fence) and thrive in any humus rich soil in full sun. Sow flat preferably from end of January to end of March in any rich, well drained soil, three seeds per pot. Keep pots in a very sunny and warm spot inside under glass (e.g. on a warm window sill, in a heated greenhouse or in the wintergarden) at a minimum of some 20°C. Transplant young plants to the open garden as soon as temperatures will stay above 10°C at night. Alternatively they can be grown in a large container in a greenhouse or wintergarden. 10 seeds per package. Note: Most decoration Cucumis melon species are poisonous and not edible ! |
Cucumis aculeatus200 (400)cm, climbing or trailing perennial with bristly leaves and small yellow flowers followed by ornamental, pale yellow, egg-shaped fruits covered with "spines". Fruits (not edible) are very long lasting. For any rich soil in a sunny spot at a minimum of some 20°C. Either grow in a pot as a perennial at a winter minimum of some 15°C in a sunny spot throughout the year or as an annual. VI-IX. |
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seed package9096 | € 0,99 |
Cucumis africanus (African Wild Cucumber)300 (500)cm, African Wild Cucumber is a perennial climbing species with annual stems covered with deeply 5-palmately lobed, dull green leaves and small, pale to dark yellow flowers with green veins, followed by ornamental, long-lasting, elongated ellipsoid creamy green, non edible fruits with large brownish-cream spines and stripes. It is native of woodlands from Angola to Ruanda and Zimbabwe to Namibia, and Botswana, as well as in South Africa. For any rich soil in a sunny spot at a minimum of some 20°C. VII-IX. |
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seed package 3345 | € 2,99 | |||
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Cucumis anguria var. anguria (West Indian Gherkin)200 (400)cm, West Indian Gherkin is a trailing annual plant with palmately lobed leaves and small yellow flowers followed by ornamental, light green, ellipsoid fruits with short bristle hairs, ripening pale yellowish. Unripe fruits are edible and are used fresh in salads or cooked as a vegetable and are also pickled, especially in parts of Brazil. Ripe fruits are partly very bitter and have a slightly laxative effect, so that they shall not be used. For any rich soil in a sunny spot at a minimum of some 20°C. VII-IX. |
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seed package3346 | € 0,99 | |||
seed package0383 | € 0,00 | |||
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seed package (100 seeds)0380 | € 4,99 |
Cucumis anguria var. longaculeatus200 (400)cm, climbing or trailing annual herb with palmately lobed leaves and small yellow flowers followed by ornamental, pale green, elongated egg-shaped fruits turning yellow with maturity and covered with soft "spines". Fruits (not edible) are very long lasting. For any rich soil in a sunny spot at a minimum of some 20°C. VII-IX. |
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seed package8854 | € 1,99 |
Cucumis canoxyi (South Arabian Cucumis)200 (400)cm, South Arabian Cucumis is a climbing or trailing annual to short lived perennial with bristly leaves and small yellow flowers followed by ornamental, egg-shaped fruits covered with semi-soft "spines". Fruits (not edible) are very long lasting and turn from dark green with pale green longitudinal stripes to plain bright yellowish-green at maturity. Cucumis canoyxi has been described rather recently in 1994 and is endemic to the southern parts of the Arabian peninsula (Oman and Yemen). For any rich soil in a sunny spot at a minimum of some 20°C. Either grow in a pot as a perennial at a winter minimum of some 15°C in a sunny spot throughout the year or preferably as an annual. VI-IX. |
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seed package0652 | € 0,99 |
Cucumis metuliferus (Kiwano Melon)200 (500)cm, Kiwano Melon is a vigorous annual vine with ornamental yellow flowers followed by most decorative orange yellow fruits with strong thorns and a distinct cucumber-like, transparent yellowish green pulp, which is edible but without any particular taste. For any rich, well drained soil in a sunny spot at a minimum of some 20°C. |
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seed package3304 | € 1,99 |
Cucumis myriocarpus (Gooseberry Cucumber)200 (300)cm, Gooseberry Cucumber is an annual trailing to climbing species from tropical Africa to South Africa. It produces small sulfur yellow flowers followed by ornamental, marble sized, round dark green fruits with lighter green stripes and slightly bristle hairs, and which turn bright yellow to yellowish orange at maturity. Fruits and the entire plant are toxic! Fruits are sometimes confused with other species, such as Citrullus colocynthis. And as a matter of fact, the English version of Wikipedia shows a fruit from Citrullus colocynthis wrongly labelled Cucumis myriocarpus. However, fruits from Cucumis myriocarpus are easily identified by their much smaller size, their bristle hairs and longitudinal stripes in an immature state. For any rich soil in a sunny spot at a minimum of some 20°C. VII-IX. |
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seed package7032 | € 0,99 |
Cucumis rigidus2m, a perennial species from southern Namibia to the northern Cape in South Africa. Cucumis rigidus makes trailing annual to biannual stems with bluish-grey leaves and yellowish-green flowers followed by yellow fruits covered with short soft spikes. For any rich, well drained substrate in full sun throughout the year. In winter keep the semi-dormant plant almost completely dry at a minimum of some 15°C. V-IX. |
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seed package3674 | € 3,99 |
Cucumis zambianus (African Horned Cucumber)200 (300)cm, African Horned Cucumber is an only in 2008 described new species from northwestern Zambia. It is an annual climbing tp trailing vine with palmately lobed leaves and small yellow flowers followed by ornamental, dark green to pale yellowish-green-beige, mandarin sized, non edible fruits with soft spines and lighter colored longitudinal stripes. For any rich soil in a sunny spot at a minimum of some 20°C. VII-IX. |
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seed package8573 | € 1,99 |
Cucumis zeyheri2 m, a climbing or trailing annual to biannual species with palmately lobed leaves and small yellow flowers followed by ornamental, pale yellowish-green, plum sized fruits with soft pale green spines, which are variable in length (see images). For any rich, well drained substrate in a sunny spot at a minimum of some 20°C. V-IX. |
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seed package3347 | € 1,99 |