Add a bit of whimsy to your garden this year with an adorable cucamelon plant. This small plant is a delicate, yet strong vining one that produces dainty fruit resembling a tiny one-inch watermelon. The fruit has the surprising flavor of a slightly tangy cucumber. The fruit’s interesting combination of appearance and flavor gives the cucamelon its name. The cucamelon plant makes for a fun little conversation piece in your backyard.
The cucamelon (Melothria scabra) is a native plant to Mexico and Central America. Evidence shows these little treats were a staple food source for many early tribal people there. Nowadays, the cucamelon is also known as mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin, or Sandiita, which means “little watermelon” in Spanish. They are found growing wild in some southern locations in the United States, but they can be grown anywhere, much like its relative, the cucumber.
Read more here.
