Bur Cucumber, Oneseed bur cucumber
Sicyos angulatus
Family: Cucurbitaceae
What it is like
Sicyos angulatus is a ANNUAL CLIMBER growing to 8 m (26ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 8
Where it is found
River banks and damp yards.
Eastern N. America - Quebec and Ontario to Florida, west to South Dakota, Kansas and Texas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Leaves - cooked. They can be cooked as greens. The fruit is said to be edible. Possibly the seed is edible but there is no flesh on the fruit, it is just a bristly skin around the seed. The fruit is about 1cm long and is borne in small clusters.
Medicine
Rating: 1
A decoction of the vine has been used in the treatment of venereal disease.
VD: Used in the treatment of venereal disease
Other
Rating: 0
How it is grown
Easily grown in a sunny position in a moderately fertile soil. The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. A very fast growing plant, capable of producing shoots up to 8 metres long in the first year from seed. The plant can be grown to provide a summer screen. This species occasionally self-sows.
Propagating it: Seed - sow in mid spring in a greenhouse. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle. Make sure the compost is fairly rich and grow the plants fast. Plant them out after the last expected frosts and consider giving them some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away actively. The seed can also be sown in situ in late spring, though this sowing might not produce mature seeds and fruit in cool summers. Plants have self-sown in Cornwall.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual Climber
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist