Wild Melon
Cucumis melo agrestis
Family: Cucurbitaceae
What it is like
Cucumis melo agrestis is a ANNUAL CLIMBER growing to 1.5 m (5ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10 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 and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1.5
Where it is found
Naturalized in many areas of the world, though it is not known in a truly wild location. It is a weed of cultivated fields in Turkey, probably as an escape from gardens.
Probably native of Asia, though it has been in cultivation for so long its native habitat is obscure
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Fruit - raw. A bitter flavour. The ripe fruit can be eaten raw, whilst the immature fruits are cooked as a vegetable. Seed - raw. Rich in oil with a nutty flavour but very fiddly to use because the seed is small and covered with a fibrous coat. The seed contains between 12.5 - 39.1% oil. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The fruits can be used as a cooling light cleanser or moisturiser for the skin. They are also used as a first aid treatment for burns and abrasions. The flowers are expectorant and emetic. The fruit is stomachic. The seed is antitussive, digestive, febrifuge and vermifuge. When used as a vermifuge, the whole seed complete with the seed coat is ground into a fine flour, then made into an emulsion with water and eaten. It is then necessary to take a purge in order to expel the tapeworms or other parasites from the body. The root is diuretic and emetic. A paste of the plant is applied as a poultice around the naval when there is difficulty in urinating.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Requires a rich, well-drained moisture retentive soil and a warm, very sunny position. A frost-tender annual plant, this form of the melon is closest to the wild species. The fruit has a bitter flavour but the plant is of potential value in breeding programmes. Grows well with corn and sunflowers but dislikes potatoes. The weeds fat hen and sow thistle improve the growth and cropping of melons.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early to mid spring in a greenhouse in a rich soil. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Sow 2 or 3 seeds per pot and thin out to the best plant. Grow them on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts, giving them cloche or frame protection for at least their first few weeks if you are trying them outdoors.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Annual Climber
Hardiness: 9-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
The sprouting seed produces a toxic substance in its embryo.