Leaf
Rob Duval · CC BY-SA 4.0
Melon
Cucumis melo L.
Also known as: Cantaloupe, Muskmelon
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Trailing stems 1 to 3 m long
Grown in open fields or under cover, warm, well-drained soils
Flowering: June – August
Full sun
Not hardy, frost-sensitive, grown as an annual
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Like watermelon and courgette, melon needs pollinating insects to transfer pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers — no bees, no melons. When young, their heart-shaped foliage and trailing stems look very alike — both are cucurbits. The fruit clearly tells them apart once formed.
🍃 Leaves
Broad, rounded, slightly lobed, somewhat rough
🌸 Flowers
Yellow; monoecious plant (separate male and female flowers on the same plant)
🍎 Fruits
Large round to oval fruit, rind smooth or netted depending on variety, sweet, fragrant orange flesh
🪵 Bark
Trailing, hairy stem with tendrils
🗺️ Distribution
Grown in France notably in the south-west (Cavaillon melon)
🐝 Value for pollinators
Nectar-rich flowers, bee pollination essential for fruit formation
✂️ Horticultural uses
Grown for its sweet fruit, eaten fresh in summer
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Edible fruit; no known toxicity
⚠️ Look-alike species
Melon
Cucumis melo
Cucumber
Cucumis sativus
When young, their heart-shaped foliage and trailing stems look very alike — both are cucurbits. The fruit clearly tells them apart once formed.
🌿 Other Cucurbitaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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