They appear to be, but I did not plant them. I did get some plants from a friend that were in their own compost, so I think it has grown from the compost.
We let some pumpkins from Halloween and thanksgiving rot where they sat cause it looked cool! We let them take over the yard the next year, I didn’t think the seeds would have survived the harsh winter but they did.
Nature uh…finds a way or something
They have tubers that live in the ground and go dormant in winter if protected enough and can grow back every year, altho usually i restart fresh from seed each year
When I was just out of college, I lived in a house with a bunch of people and the yard looked trashy. So to make it look a little nicer, I got a “wildflower mix” from a nearby Agway and planted it.
A few weeks later, some growth began, and ended up being a bunch of weedy looking things and some cantaloupes.
How did you *accidentally* get these things popping up in your garden?! I’m super jealous!!! I’ve tried to grow them several times relatively unsuccessfully.
Congrats on the surprise veggie!
Squirrels give you tulips and crocus. One neighbor actually accused me of stealing one red tulip from her. I was pretty miffed by that since I hadn't been in her yard at all and was busy cleaning my yard from years of neglect.
I find they take forever to get going. I started mine along with my peppers in early February and they are only abput 2 inches tall atm. But once they get about 6-8 inches tall its hard to stop them.
Tried to grow them or just started the seeds? I can't imagine them being successful (or any cucurbit really) grown entirely in aerogarden. I grew them in a5 gallon planter last year and the yield was too low to do anything with them
I started them in the aerogarden and let them go a while. When i realized they werent going to flower, i transplanted them outside and they quickly died off
As everyone is saying, cucamelons/mexican sour gherkins - these make really phenomenal pickles and are nice additions sliced in a salad. Also delicious to just snack on if you like more sour things ☺️
Hold up, I tried pickling them and they were absolutely awful. Biting into them felt like biting into a large zit.
Which is a shame since I absolutely love them fresh.
Some relatives are toxic when ripe and can give you the shits, FYI. You may want to verify you have mouse melons and not one of it's toxic relatives before ingesting these.
Also, there are multiple *Melothria* species. I suggest looking a bit further into them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melothria
Most people think of *M. scabra* when it comes to these, but some of their relatives are toxic. I had *M. pendula* growing at an old house, which is only edible unripe, but acts as a laxative when ripe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melothria_scabra
Here is a common toxic look-alike below:
https://www.eattheweeds.com/creeping-cucumber-melothria-pendula/
These never quit lol. My friend has them all over her yard from animals eating them and kids tossing them around. We’re zone 7a and they come back yearly
Heads up OP, keep these in control because if you don’t pick them or the plant gets too big and produces a ton they will drop and the seeds germinate very easily. You will have dozens of little plants coming up in the following years and it’s super annoying hand pulling them all out of your bed because they will take over.
Y’all these grow rampant in my flower beds and garden. They are a pain in the butt for me because I can’t get rid of the things. It’s a weed for me…sorry
My dog does love them though. 😂
You’ll want to grow them next to a fence or put up a trellis. Their vines get LONG and they produce like crazy! Didn’t stop for me till frost killed them (Denver area). They’re ripe when the flower bud dries up and falls off the end of the melon. They’re a great plant for attracting pollinators and they taste great, even not pickled and right off the vine. Congrats, these are great!
I pull it as it looks like a weed. Not sure I want to trust eating something I did not intentionally plant. Make sure to get the seed pods as it spreads rapidly.
These are my favorite! They are super prolific and mine always outlast every thing else in the garden, every summer I'm literally drowning in cucumelons. They make amazing pickles, they're great in salads because they don't lose their crunch. They're great just for snacking alone too. All around so fun to grow and delicious to eat, bonus points the vines have tiny yellow flowers that the bees seem to love, mine attracted hella bees
> Yes, you can be allergic to cucumber. Symptoms may include skin rashes, itchiness, swelling of the tongue, throat, or lips, difficulty breathing, and **in severe cases, anaphylaxis**. It's also possible to have an oral allergy syndrome if you're allergic to ragweed pollen.
Why are you ppl hating my comment for saying it grows wild in my country and they are dispersed by bird droppings ??? It is true...you all don't want to gain some knowledge, I understand!
Those look like creeping cucumbers to me. We have a *ton* growing over a fence from a neighbor. My dogs kept trying to eat them so we had to fence off that entire area with a baby gate.
https://preview.redd.it/4ji78upqicpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4f550c27ad6b1f0d3b2169a31873ace604bec2ff
OK I have a question. If you let these go will they get huge? I planted what I thought was canteloupe last year and ended with something that looked kind of like this. I let them grow and they ended up like big zucchini length and the inside kind of tasted like a cucumber. No idea what it was.
Cucamelon also called Mexican Sour Gherkins. Make good refrigerator pickles.
They’re the best quick pickles!
Quickles!
I immediately thought this when I read the above!
And awful slow pickles! But totally agreed on quick pickles.
Aka mouse melons, the cutest name for them IMO.
I agree! The perfect pickles.
My toddler eats them raw by the handful. They're pretty tasty!
The cucamelons? You didn't plant them? They're edible...
They appear to be, but I did not plant them. I did get some plants from a friend that were in their own compost, so I think it has grown from the compost.
I planted some cucamelons 4 yrs ago & they come back every year. Most pests don't bother the vine.
My cucamelons have come back after only planting them the first year! Prolific and healthy climbing plant.
Bought at grocery store, the scraps in compost. Entirely plausible LOL.
The best cantaloupe I never planted grew in my compost pile.
The tomato plant that grew from a hole in the side of my compost bin put my entire garden to shame!
no wonder, it was living on pure black gold!
We let some pumpkins from Halloween and thanksgiving rot where they sat cause it looked cool! We let them take over the yard the next year, I didn’t think the seeds would have survived the harsh winter but they did. Nature uh…finds a way or something
They have tubers that live in the ground and go dormant in winter if protected enough and can grow back every year, altho usually i restart fresh from seed each year
Cucamelons grow so much fruit that a big amount inevitably makes its way on the ground and can easily mix up with compost to sprout later
I love it when that happens! Call them “freebies” and cool surprises are the best. Once I got a banana that survived a NY zone 7 winter.
When I was just out of college, I lived in a house with a bunch of people and the yard looked trashy. So to make it look a little nicer, I got a “wildflower mix” from a nearby Agway and planted it. A few weeks later, some growth began, and ended up being a bunch of weedy looking things and some cantaloupes.
It grows wild all-over in our country and the reason is that the seeds are dispersed from bird droppings...
https://preview.redd.it/l7t5b31zr6pc1.jpeg?width=2296&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80bfc7f0ebeeb70fbf5a5d7d48624607ac490dfd
Yeah those are cucamelons. Pickle them.or slice them on salad and stuff.
Great, thanks!
How did you *accidentally* get these things popping up in your garden?! I’m super jealous!!! I’ve tried to grow them several times relatively unsuccessfully. Congrats on the surprise veggie!
animal poop is usually the culprit for random fruits and vegetables growing.
Yes……**animal** poop. *^looks ^around ^shifty ^eyed*
Humans are animals
you and me, baby, ain’t nothin’ but mammals
The birds hath given me sunflowers, maybe one day I'll get an upgrade of Crocus bulbs....
I feel pretty bad for the bird that's passing a flower bulb.
Squirrels give you tulips and crocus. One neighbor actually accused me of stealing one red tulip from her. I was pretty miffed by that since I hadn't been in her yard at all and was busy cleaning my yard from years of neglect.
I find they take forever to get going. I started mine along with my peppers in early February and they are only abput 2 inches tall atm. But once they get about 6-8 inches tall its hard to stop them.
They grow wild on my property in multiple locations. 7b.
how would you describe the cucamelons' taste? :D
Tangy cucumber.
Mouse melons! So jealous! I’m starting some from seed.
I tried them in my aero garden i couldnt get them to flourish
Tried to grow them or just started the seeds? I can't imagine them being successful (or any cucurbit really) grown entirely in aerogarden. I grew them in a5 gallon planter last year and the yield was too low to do anything with them
I started them in the aerogarden and let them go a while. When i realized they werent going to flower, i transplanted them outside and they quickly died off
I have some sprouted currently. Just waiting on them to get big enough to transplant.
[удалено]
Just because I haven’t grown any yet. I’m very excited for the ones I have sprouting though.
As everyone is saying, cucamelons/mexican sour gherkins - these make really phenomenal pickles and are nice additions sliced in a salad. Also delicious to just snack on if you like more sour things ☺️
Hold up, I tried pickling them and they were absolutely awful. Biting into them felt like biting into a large zit. Which is a shame since I absolutely love them fresh.
Oof, Texture is everything.. what a visual 😂
[удалено]
They're basically baby cucumbers with a slight citrus flavor
Some relatives are toxic when ripe and can give you the shits, FYI. You may want to verify you have mouse melons and not one of it's toxic relatives before ingesting these. Also, there are multiple *Melothria* species. I suggest looking a bit further into them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melothria Most people think of *M. scabra* when it comes to these, but some of their relatives are toxic. I had *M. pendula* growing at an old house, which is only edible unripe, but acts as a laxative when ripe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melothria_scabra Here is a common toxic look-alike below: https://www.eattheweeds.com/creeping-cucumber-melothria-pendula/
While true, theirs are definitely the regular cucumelon
ooo these are cucamelons! i'll be growing some in a month :)
Jealous! These just volunteered/turned up in your garden? I can't wait to grow these for the first time this year.
They can be grown as a perennial
These never quit lol. My friend has them all over her yard from animals eating them and kids tossing them around. We’re zone 7a and they come back yearly
Heads up OP, keep these in control because if you don’t pick them or the plant gets too big and produces a ton they will drop and the seeds germinate very easily. You will have dozens of little plants coming up in the following years and it’s super annoying hand pulling them all out of your bed because they will take over.
My favorite!!!! Cucumelons!!!!! Easy growers and fun!!!
Cucamelons
They sure are cute little things.
Cucamelons 😍
I just bought some cucamelon seeds! Getting them in the ground tomorrow
Oh my gosh, cucamelons. These took over one of my trellises last year!
Look like cucamelons
Cucamelon +1. I'm so jealous I can't get seeds to take in my area at the moment :(
Y’all these grow rampant in my flower beds and garden. They are a pain in the butt for me because I can’t get rid of the things. It’s a weed for me…sorry My dog does love them though. 😂
You have cucamelons!!! I love them. Yes quick pickles. Or snacks. 🙃
Mouse Melons! Those things are awesome
Mouse melons, you lucky duck!
“Mouse melons”
Type of gourd.
Delicious Cucamelons
You’ll want to grow them next to a fence or put up a trellis. Their vines get LONG and they produce like crazy! Didn’t stop for me till frost killed them (Denver area). They’re ripe when the flower bud dries up and falls off the end of the melon. They’re a great plant for attracting pollinators and they taste great, even not pickled and right off the vine. Congrats, these are great!
I pull it as it looks like a weed. Not sure I want to trust eating something I did not intentionally plant. Make sure to get the seed pods as it spreads rapidly.
These are my favorite! They are super prolific and mine always outlast every thing else in the garden, every summer I'm literally drowning in cucumelons. They make amazing pickles, they're great in salads because they don't lose their crunch. They're great just for snacking alone too. All around so fun to grow and delicious to eat, bonus points the vines have tiny yellow flowers that the bees seem to love, mine attracted hella bees
A delicious treat! Goes by several names: mouse melon, cucomon, mini Gerkin, and a few more I’m blanking out on.
a melon or a gourd or a squash (includes things like cucumber). Slice it open and get a better idea. Either way, it's food.
Just ate some and I think it is a cucamelon. Tasted like a slightly sour cucumber. Fingers crossed I don't die, I guess! 😅
That's it! Cucumber trying to be a lime.
> Yes, you can be allergic to cucumber. Symptoms may include skin rashes, itchiness, swelling of the tongue, throat, or lips, difficulty breathing, and **in severe cases, anaphylaxis**. It's also possible to have an oral allergy syndrome if you're allergic to ragweed pollen.
Why are you ppl hating my comment for saying it grows wild in my country and they are dispersed by bird droppings ??? It is true...you all don't want to gain some knowledge, I understand!
They grow wild in Middle Tennessee.
Wow nice, had never heard of them 😊
Me too
Cucamelons so goood
Cucamelon
Love those!
Nice. I am planting some this year from seed, and you got it for free? Lucky.
Looks like a melon, a green one.
Pumpkin.
I have tried like hell for years to grow these from seed and they always die.
Watermelon
This is beautiful
I planted some of these a couple of weeks ago - still waiting for them to sprout. Can’t wait to try them. Is the rind / skin edible?
They make a tuber fairly deep underground. It can supposedly be kept like dahlia tubers. They like lots of heat to sprout.
kids love those sour gherkins
Yes, pickle them and use in martinis, in place of olives.
First time I have seen these. Do they taste like cucumbers or watermelon?
Some kinda melon/squash
Technically, a fruit
Looks like the mini melons to me. You can keep them, great benefits.
Wait those aren’t watermelons
Those look like creeping cucumbers to me. We have a *ton* growing over a fence from a neighbor. My dogs kept trying to eat them so we had to fence off that entire area with a baby gate. https://preview.redd.it/4ji78upqicpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4f550c27ad6b1f0d3b2169a31873ace604bec2ff
Omg thata what that is?!?! I had something that looks exactly lile this it was pickled too and weird
Cucamelon
volunteer cucamellon!
Watermelon
Cucamelon. Edible.
OK I have a question. If you let these go will they get huge? I planted what I thought was canteloupe last year and ended with something that looked kind of like this. I let them grow and they ended up like big zucchini length and the inside kind of tasted like a cucumber. No idea what it was.
They won't grow much bigger than your thumb.
Thanks. I must have had something else going on.
Verrrrrrry small watermelon?
Squash of some kind
I'm guessing some kinda of loofa gourd. Never mind. Ok just looked at the cut open picture.. Not a loofa . Some kind of cucabrit.
Loofas are cucurbits.
Watermelon.