Prickly Cucumber
Echinocystis lobata
Also listed as Micrampelis lobata, Sicyos lobatus
Also known as Wild Cucumber, Wild Balsam-apple, Wild Mock-cucumber
Climate Match for your location
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A fast-growing annual vine with delicate white flowers and spiny cucumber-like fruits that dry to ornamental speckled seed pods. Excellent for covering trellises, arbors, and fences in a single season.
Why grow it
Prickly cucumber establishes dense coverage faster than many perennial vines, making it useful for quick seasonal screening where a temporary solution is preferable to permanent plantings. Its ornamental dried seed pods extend visual interest into fall and winter, unlike many annual vines that decline in appearance after flowering. The delicate flowers attract pollinators during mid to late summer when some other cover crops have finished blooming.
Watch out for
Plants often self-seed prolifically in favorable conditions, so deadheading spent flowers or removing volunteer seedlings the following season may be necessary to prevent unintended spread. In warmer climates or with consistent moisture, growth can become dense enough to require pruning or thinning to maintain air circulation and prevent fungal issues.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
North America
Native to: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Climber
Vines that climb the layers above on a support.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A fast-growing annual vine with delicate white flowers and spiny cucumber-like fruits that dry to ornamental speckled seed pods. Excellent for covering trellises, arbors, and fences in a single season.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Prickly Cucumber grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Prickly cucumber establishes dense coverage faster than many perennial vines, making it useful for quick seasonal screening where a temporary solution is preferable to permanent plantings. Its ornamental dried seed pods extend visual interest into fall and winter, unlike many annual vines that decline in appearance after flowering. The delicate flowers attract pollinators during mid to late summer when some other cover crops have finished blooming.
Watch out for
Plants often self-seed prolifically in favorable conditions, so deadheading spent flowers or removing volunteer seedlings the following season may be necessary to prevent unintended spread. In warmer climates or with consistent moisture, growth can become dense enough to require pruning or thinning to maintain air circulation and prevent fungal issues.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
North America
Native to: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Climber
Vines that climb the layers above on a support.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Similar climbers you might consider:
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