- Native to Africa
- Very unusual fruit
- Banana and lime like flavour
Description
'African Horned Cucumber' seeds
Cucumis metuliferus
- Native to Africa
- Very unusual fruit
- Banana and lime like flavour
Climbing vine native to Africa with very unusual green thorned fruit that mature to a bright orange/yellow colour. Fruit can be eaten at any stage but mature fruit has the best flavour. Mature fruit has jelly like flesh with a flavour is similar to a mix of banana, lime and cucumber. Is most commonly eaten as a fruit, a garnish or juiced. Fruit stores well and is often used as a decoration. Easy to grow. Also known as Jelly Melon, hedged gourd or melano
Culinary use
Seeds per gram: 68
Product code: F3-13
Best Months to Sow
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
| Cool | ||||||||||||
| Temperate | ||||||||||||
| Sub-Tropical | ||||||||||||
| Tropical | ||||||||||||
| Arid |
Quick Sowing Guide
| Method | Sow direct or raise seedlings |
|---|---|
| Sowing Depth | 10mm |
| Season | Spring(or after frost) and summer |
| Germination | 14-21 days @ 20-35°C |
| Hardiness / Life Cycle | Frost tender Annual |
| Row Spacing | 120cm |
| Plant Spacing | 40cm |
| Position | Full sun, moist well drained soil |
| Days Until Maturity | 120 days |
*Notes: Can be grown on ground or as a climber. Pick regularly to encourage more fruit. Avoid overhead watering. Can become weedy in some areas if left to go to seed
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How To Grow
Shipping
We deliver Australia wide.
All orders are dispatched from our warehouse in Knoxfield, Victoria, Australia.
We do not deliver overseas.
Shipping cost is calculated using all the items in your shopping cart and your delivery postcode. The table below outlines the delivery options and costs.
Order dispatch time is currently 1-3 business days plus delivery time.
Please note we are unable to guarantee specific delivery dates or delivery timeframes, all delivery times are estimates only.
| Order contains: | Delivery options: | Delivery cost per order | |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIC, NSW, ACT, QLD, TAS, SA, NT | WA | ||
| Small seed packets ONLY - | Economy Delivery | $3.00 or FREE on orders over $25 | $5 |
| Parcel Delivery | Capped rate of $8.99 | ||
| Express Delivery | $15.00 | ||
|
BULK seed, garden supplies, tools, or accessories - |
Parcel Delivery |
Capped rate of $8.99 |
|
|
Express Delivery |
Starting from $15.00 (Calculated by weight) |
||
| Live Plants - | Live plants | Capped rate of $10.00 | |
*All orders sent to Western Australia are subject to mandatory inspection and fees by Quarantine WA. These fees are included in all shipping costs above.
**We will replace all orders that are lost or damaged in transit however we will not replace or refund orders simply because they were delivered later than estimated. Full details here.
Ratings & Reviews
African Horned Cucumber
It's late February and I live in a dry remote area in S Qld. We have no water for the garden (only grey water) and a small a small amount of occasional rain. Because we actually HAD rain this year after prolonged drought I planted 3 cucumber seeds in late spring and they all germinated. I've just pulled out the plants because insects absolutely decimated them... as with so much of the garden! I found 101 full size cucumbers hidden under the leaves... Yes that's right... 101! That's not counting the ones we picked as they grew! These cucumbers are drought tolerant, prolific and really nice to eat. They don't have much white around the seed area in fact, they are nearly all moist jelly and seed... That's why I like them so much. Very tough hardy, heat tolerant plants. I recommend them for hot summer produce.
