Creeping Cucumber: Fcats, Growth, Maintenance, and Benefits

Native to the United States of America and various other countries like Mexico, the Caribbean, and East Asia, the creeping cucumber is known to be a cucurbit vine that is perennial herbaceous. The scientific name of this cucumber-resembling fruit is Melothria pendula. 

The fruits of this plant are good for consumption when they are in their unripe stage, looking like mini watermelons and tasting like cucumbers, but not when they are in their ripe stage when they look like black olives. The creeping cucumbers are considered a symbol of fertility, healing, and chastity.

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Creeping cucumber: Quick facts

Type: Herbaceous Perennial Flower: yellow, shaped like saucers with 4-5 petals, sized 1 inch. Varieties available: one Also known as: Guadeloupe cucumber Season: spring, summer, fall Sun exposure: 6-8 hours Water: twice or thrice a week Ideal temperature: above 50 degrees Fahrenheit  Soil pH and type: tolerant to all pH levels, Well-drained  Basic requirements: Minimum watering, proper sunlight, well-drained soil, fences/trellis Maintenance: Low

 

Creeping cucumber: Physical features

This particular unique plant, which is also known as Guadeloupe cucumber, resembles a tiny watermelon on a vine and is said to need minimal care and attention for growth. On the other hand, taste-wise, they are said to resemble cucumbers to a great extent. 

• One of the introductory facts about this vine that everyone remembers is that it must be consumed only when it is green rather than purple or black. After the fruit of the creeping cucumber vine reaches its purple/black stage, it is deemed unfit for consumption due to its high content of a harmful laxative. If consumed at its ripe stage, it can lead to severe dehydration.
• The flowers of this plant are seen to grow and bloom into a yellow saucer shape during fall and are said to have a size of around an inch. As for the appearance of the plant itself, the foliage is dark green and small in size, with light green berries growing on the hanging cucumber vine.
• The male and female flowers both grow on the same vine in the plant, but the flowers slightly differ in appearance from the male flowers, which grow out from the pedicel, unlike the females. The fruits emerge from the pedicels of these flowers. 
• If given proper care and growing conditions, the creeping cucumber vines can be expected to grow up to a height of 15 feet.
• The vine has palmate leaves that are recognised with lobed characteristics that are familiar to other lobed plants or leaves. 3 to 5 lobes emerge from each climbing vine, producing long tendrils curling around their support or what comes in contact with them. 

 

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Creeping cucumber: How to grow?

To grow a creeping cucumber plant, the condition that it usually grows in must be kept in mind. It includes the following:

• The creeping cucumber can be planted from scratch by extracting seeds from an already-ripened fruit and saving them till the forthcoming spring. To have an idea about how healthy the plants are, they can be planted into specific pots, where one can see sprouts appearing in some weeks. 
• The vines can also be grown near streams or around the edges of gardens, along with various other crops or veggies that one might already be growing.
• In case of going for compacted soil, drainage can be provided to the soil in the form of pumice rock, perlite, or, if available, agricultural soil in small amounts.
• To begin growing cucumber vines, one must start preparing in or before early spring, when they start blooming and growing. If taken proper care of, the plants go on to grow abundantly during fall as well as summer.
• If taken care of and provided with ideal conditions for growth, the creeping cucumbers keep producing fruits for years as long as the conditions last without deterioration. Hence, make sure to keep the conditions required, and most importantly, the soil should be kept under constant supervision without fail.
• Though these plants do not require fertilisers, it is important to bind them within an area with the help of trellises or fences. These fences will also help them in growth and act as a medium of support. 
• The space between each plant, if more than one is planted, should be at least 18 to 24 inches. Also, keep in mind the water being provided to the plant. Overwatering the plant may lead to it rotting, and in case of under watering, the plant will wilt, and the leaves will turn droopy due to lack of nutrition and hydration. 

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Creeping cucumber: Maintenance 

• It must be kept in mind that the soil should be moist but well-drained; to allow the moisture to regulate through its roots, so the nutrient transfer system is strengthened. Tolerant to various pH levels, you can add small amounts of compost for extra and proper nutrition of the plant through various seasons.
• The area where the plant is grown should be moist, including both sunny and shady areas. They have been reported to grow along streaming areas, and therefore, those growing it must make sure that there is a constant yet restricted supply of water that keeps the soil moist.
• The plant can be grown well in tropical as well as subtropical climates, provided that it is well out in the sun. However, partial shade does not harm the plant, as seen by research.
• When winter approaches, they can still be grown if taken care of very attentively. The cucumber vine can wither or die under pressure or the impact of frost, and therefore, those growing it must effectively and simultaneously keep frost from reaching the plant at all costs.
• Flowers, unripe and ripe fruits are all found on the same vine due to the plant’s characteristic of constantly producing fruits; therefore, one can use the same plant to grow more, but also must take care of the ideal conditions.
• The ideal pot or container size for the plant is a large 5-gallon container that contains an attached trellis. This trellis will keep the plant from overgrowing or overspreading out of the required boundaries and area.
• One may encourage the growth of these vines in an area where natural pollinators might be found for better health and growth of the plant. Creeping cucumbers can be produced continuously if it is maintained that the environment stays humid as well as the temperatures stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Creeping cucumber: Uses

The creeping cucumber is sometimes recognised as a weed, and the consumption of it being safe is still debated. However, there are several uses of this vine that have been recorded since history till the present day such as:

1. Owing to its name, the creeping cucumber can be consumed exactly like a normal cucumber, keeping in mind that it is still in its light green stage rather than its black or purple stage where it is seen to resemble a black olive. These tiny fruits resemble watermelons in appearance while tasting exactly like cucumbers. Therefore, these effectively serve as a snack without the hassle of cutting or shaping for consumption. They may or may not be required to be peeled first.
2. In the past, creeping cucumbers have served medicinal purposes, where doctors have used them to treat diseases like diabetes and anaemia, and as an anti-inflammatory. In present times as well, after the fruit is deemed dangerous for consumption due to its ripe nature, it can still be used to treat digestive issues like obstructive digestive systems. In several places, the plant has been noted to be used for the treatment of snake bites, wounds, or burns in a victim. 
3. Creeping cucumbers have also been seen to be used as livestock fodder, not just limiting the consumption of these fruits to humans only.
4. Like pickled cucumbers, these tiny cucumbers can also be used for pickling, but the effectiveness and validity of the same are still under research.
5. The tiny cucumbers can easily be kept in store in refrigerators, but it must also be kept in mind that these fruits are incapable of maintaining their structural integrity for a very long time. If harvested fresh and stored immediately, they may be able to last a maximum of a week or a little more. If one must preserve these for a longer duration, they can be stored in salty brines or grape leaves, by making sure they are then contained in an airtight container. In that case, these fruits will last a few months. 

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Creeping cucumber: Benefits

1. One of the most prominent benefits of this vine, which is the most discussed, is its ability to produce tiny fruits that taste exactly like cucumbers while looking like watermelons, therefore serving as a healthy snack that can be easily grown in a garden.
2. These mini fruits are pleasant and slightly tangy to taste and packed with nutrition, said to be even more than the English cucumbers. Creeping cucumbers are said to contain great amounts of water, therefore, helping with dehydration issues, as well as various other nutrients such as minerals, fibre, vitamins, carbohydrates, and a good amount of protein in them. Not only do they serve as tasty and tangy flavoured snacks, but they are also greatly healthy at the same time.
3. When unripe, these fruits can be consumed as much as wanted. However, the ripe versions of these jelly bean-like fruits can be put to use for medicinal purposes like digestive medicines with the purgatives and laxatives contained in the fruit.
4. There are no additional procedures required for the growth of more than one plant of these vines; one can grow them simply from the seeds that are available inside fruits produced by the previous plant. Therefore, one plant can grow an abundant amount of plants further.
5. The creeping cucumbers do not require very much care and can grow abundantly under minimal care, given ideal conditions are provided, thriving on their own. However, this plant can grow out of hand if left unmonitored, and therefore, pots of specific measurements and bindings must be provided to keep it in check. 
6. An exciting benefit about this unique vine remains that it is a supporter of native pollinators, which contains a list of sweat bees as well as carpenter bees, who are often referred to as the unsung heroes belonging to the pollination world. 

 

FAQs

How often do creeping cucumbers need to be watered to maintain proper health?

At a maximum, these plants need to be watered only two to three times a week, exceeding which might lead to overwatering and rotting or the opposite, where lack of water will lead the plant to wilt.

What seasons can Creeping cucumber vines survive?

Sprouting in early spring, they survive well throughout fall and summer. However, one can also save the plant in winter by making sure frost does not get to it.

When and how can the fruits be consumed?

Creeping cucumbers can be consumed in their unripe stage, during which they appear light green watermelon-like. They can be consumed with or without their peel.

Can creeping cucumbers be produced indoors?

Yes, these can be produced indoors, maintaining that the water provided to them is kept in check. When outside, these vines receive a good amount of water from rain, therefore requiring to be watered in abundance when placed indoors.

What are the benefits of this plant other than food?

Creeping cucumbers can also be used for medicinal purposes to cure digestive issues or diabetes.

Are creeping cucumbers toxic?

Creeping cucumbers are not toxic and are safe to be grown indoors.