Leaf
Eiku, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Watermelon
Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Trailing stems 2 to 5 m long
Grown in open fields, warm, free-draining soils
Flowering: June – August
Full sun
Not hardy, frost-sensitive, grown as an annual
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Like the courgette and the cucumber, the watermelon bears separate male and female flowers on the same plant — only the female flowers will produce watermelons.
🍃 Leaves
Large, deeply lobed, greyish green, slightly rough
🌸 Flowers
Yellow, solitary, with 5 petals; monoecious plant (male and female flowers separate on the same plant)
🍎 Fruits
Large round to oval fruit, green striped rind, sweet, very watery red flesh
🪵 Bark
Trailing or climbing stem, hairy, with tendrils
🗺️ Distribution
Native to Africa; grown in the south of France and in warm climates
🐝 Value for pollinators
Nectar-rich flowers, pollination by bees, essential for fruit formation
✂️ Horticultural uses
Grown in open fields for its large sweet fruit, eaten fresh in summer
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Edible fruit; no known toxicity to humans
🌿 Other Cucurbitaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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