kiwano, African horned cucumber (Cucumis metuliferus)—50 seeds (.00)

Description

—kiwano
,
African horned cucumber, horned melon, spiked melon, jelly melon
(
Cucumis metuliferus
)
—
Sub-Saharan Africa native
fruiting vine
—
Size
: 4-10’ tall, trailing
—Site
: full sun
—
USDA Hardiness Zones
: annual
—
To Propagate
: Seed requires no pretreatment.
Kiwano is an usual looking fruit from the cucumber family native to Sub-Saharan Africa and grown as an edible fruit around the world. Native to semiarid regions this climbing vine tolerates drought and high heat and poor growing conditions being naturally found along roadsides and abandoned lands. Culture of this vine is the same as for musk melons.
The kiwano fruit has a very long shelf life of more than three months at room temperature making it also an ornamental for the home. Fruit turns color 30-40 days from fruit set with mature, and highest sugar content, fruit at the orange, fully ripe stage, approximately three-and-a-half months after sowing.
Traditionally used as a water source during the dry season in the Kalahari Desert—can be eaten at any stage of ripeness but bland when not fully ripe. The flavor varies from a combination of banana and passionfruit to combination of banana, cucumber, and lime.
An attractive vine when not in flower or fruit.
Note
: If you order more than one lot of one species of seeds, for example you place two orders of 100 seeds, or whatever variation is offered, we assume you want 200 seeds and your order will be sent in one seed packet.