African Horned Cucumber

Cucumis metuliferus

Also known as: Kiwano, Horned Melon, Jelly Melon, African Horned Melon


A striking oddity from sub-Saharan Africa — a trailing cucurbit vine bearing oval fruit covered in soft, blunt spikes that ripen from green to bright golden-orange over the course of the season. Cut open, the fruit reveals a startling lime-green interior of jelly-like flesh studded with soft edible seeds — the texture halfway between passionfruit and a firm-set jelly, the flavour a mix of cucumber, lime, and banana. Ornamental enough to grow just for the shelf display, and one of the few cucurbit fruits that stores at room temperature for six months or more once mature. Trailing / climbing vine — needs a trellis and a long warm season.

Days to harvest 90–120 days from sowing
Fruit size Oval spiked fruit, 10–15cm long
Sowing depth 1–2cm
Germination 7–14 days at soil temperature 21–30°C
Spacing 60–90cm between plants along a strong trellis
Aspect Full sun; well-drained soil rich in organic matter; likes heat
Frost tolerance Sensitive to frost at both ends of the season — sow after last frost, harvest before first frost

Growing notes

A warm, sunny position with a serious climbing structure suits it best. Horned cucumber needs a long, hot run to ripen its fruit — this is not a variety to squeeze into a short cool summer.

Soil preparation: Well-rotted compost and aged manure worked in before sowing. Cucurbits are heavy feeders — build the bed before sowing and top-dress as the vine takes off.

Sowing method: Soak seed overnight to speed germination — this species is slower to sprout than a standard cucumber. Sow direct into warm ground at 1–2cm deep, two seeds per station 60–90cm apart along the base of a trellis, then thin to the strongest plant per station.

Support: A sturdy trellis, netting, or A-frame is strongly preferred. Trellised fruit ripens cleanly and displays its full colour and shape, while ground-grown fruit tends to spot where it touches soil.

Containers: Suits a large pot of 40L or more with a sturdy trellis. Keep water consistent, as pots dry out faster than beds.

Watering & feeding: Deep, consistent watering at the base. Overhead watering invites disease. Side-dress with well-rotted manure or a balanced liquid feed once flowering starts.

Harvest: For fresh eating, pick when fully coloured — the skin turns bright golden-orange at ripeness and the fruit gives slightly under gentle pressure. Cut with a length of stem attached. Well-ripened fruit stores at room temperature for six months or more without refrigeration; unripe green fruit will ripen off the vine on a windowsill.

Timing: First ripe fruit around 90–120 days from sowing.

Key features

  • Bright orange spiked fruit with lime-green jelly interior
  • Distinctive fresh flavour — cucumber, lime, and banana
  • Stores at room temperature for six months or more
  • Highly ornamental — grown as much for the look as the taste
  • Vigorous vine on a good trellis
  • One of the most unusual edibles in cultivation

Short season tips


Direct sow into warm ground from mid-spring to early summer once frost risk has passed. In Coonabarabran and similar inland zones, that means mid-November onwards. If time is tight, start seed indoors in large pots 4–6 weeks before transplanting — cucurbits resent root disturbance, so handle carefully and move on with the root ball intact. Given the long season this fruit needs to ripen, get plants in early and choose a hot, sheltered corner of the garden. In marginal seasons, mature-but-still-green fruit brought inside will continue to ripen through autumn.

  • Spring
  • Summer

Annual

  • Corn, climbing beans, nasturtium, borage, marigold
  • Potatoes. Does not cross-pollinate with Cucumis sativus cucumbers or Cucumis melo melons, despite being in the same genus — a rare piece of good news for seed savers with mixed cucurbit gardens


Native to the semi-arid regions of central and southern Africa — the Kalahari and surrounding drylands — where the fruit was gathered for its long-storing water and food value in an environment where both were scarce. Traded outward through the twentieth century and taken up commercially in New Zealand in the 1980s under the marketing name Kiwano, which is how the fruit reached most of the world's supermarkets. Still relatively unusual in Australian home gardens, and worth growing for the pleasure of surprising visitors as much as for the fruit itself.