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Herbaceous PerennialAnnual Biennial

Ecballium elaterium

squirting cucumber

A tender, bushy or trailing perennial grown as an annual. Dark greyish-green, five-lobed leaves are carried on long, bristly stems. Pale yellow flowers, about 2cm across, appear in summer, followed by hairy, blue-green fruit that are touch-sensitive, squirting out seeds over large distances when ripe

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Plant nurseries
2 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Cucurbitaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Trailing
Potentially harmful: IRRITANT to skin/eye, harmful if eaten. Pets (dogs, cats): IRRITANT to skin/eye, harmful if eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Ecballium are trailing or bushy, bristly perennials which produce touch-sensitive fruit that can squirt seeds out over great distances when ripe. They have lobed leaves and funnel-shaped flowers
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Start seeds off under glass, planting out into an open, sunny position with well-drained soil after all risk of frost has passed

Propagation

Propagate by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants
Cottage and informal garden

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Aphids and glasshouse red spider mite may be a problem under glass

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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