Wild Cucumber

Have you been noticing a bright green vine that has been climbing up trees and fencelines this summer?  What you are seeing is Wild Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family which includes cucumbers, squash, and melons.  Wild cucumber is a native plant of Wisconsin and most of North America.  Additional information on wild cucumber.

Wild cucumber vine & fruit
Wild cucumber vine & fruit
The fruit of wild cucumber
The fruit of wild cucumber is spiny and inedible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on the biology of wild cucumber, please visit: https://mastergardener.extension.wisc.edu/sites/wimastergardener.org/files/Echinocystis_lobata.pdf or go to http://wimastergardener.org and search “wild cucumber” to find the relevant information.

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