Plants that look like watermelons may or may not always be edible like the watermelon. There are different plants whose leaves may look like watermelon fruit or may look like watermelon plant leaves.
However, if you wish to grow or know about such plants but cannot find proper information then you are in the right place. In this post, we have discussed different types of plants that look almost like watermelons.
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List of Plants That Look Like Watermelon
1. Watermelon Peperomia
The watermelon peperomia plant of the Piperaceae family or scientifically called the peperomia argyreia got its name because its leaves mimic the shell of a watermelon. They are usually modest and look best in groups of plants that have comparable cultural requirements.
This plant’s attractive, fuzzy watermelon peperomia leaves and the creamy and spiky flowers provide pleasant beauty.
A rare real peltate of this plant is its leaf attachment. This plant is suitable for use as a display or a table plant. Watermelon peperomias are upright and bushy tropical deciduous perennial shrub that grows up to eight-inch tall and may be used as a potted plant in temperate areas.
– Growth Requirements
This plant can survive low light for a few months without becoming stressed. It is not tolerant of rainy, extremely dry, or drafty soils. Watermelon peperomia care tips suggest that this plant needs medium to low humidity, dry soil, and moderate to low light.
Over-watering and bright but unfiltered sunlight may promote root rot, while watering less may make this plant wilt. So, you should let the soil become dry before watering, and water less often in the winter. They will not require to be repotted frequently because they flourish in pots.
2. Metallic Peperomia
If growing watermelon is not something that you desire but want to have a plant that’s leaves are like watermelon then the Metallic Peperomia or Peperomia Caperata can be a good choice for you. It is a Piperaceae family tropical plant that is frequently utilized as a potted plant in temperate settings.
– Features
This plant grows up to eight inches tall in the tropics and is an annual herb or ornamental grass with an upright and bushy form. It may also be epiphytic in the South American jungles where it is endemic. The plant’s popular name is derived from its twisted green leaves, which are so dark that they almost resemble metals.
This plant’s heart-shaped leaves with deeply wrinkled nature, as well as its cream-colored, spiky inflorescence, offer appeal to any interiorscape.
– Growth Requirements
In the spring, it spreads by leaf or branch tip cuttings. It is a simple houseplant that tolerates indoor environments. This plant thrives in medium-light settings, such as sunlight filtered across a thin curtain. It requires soil that rests between watering sessions and relative humidity that ranges from medium to low.
3. Winter Squash
Cucurbita Argyrosperma, often known as winter squash, is a hot-season annual vegetable vine with tendrils that drags along the ground or grows over buildings. It produces yellow fruit-bearing blossoms in the fall.
The veggies have a moderate fragrance and can be grilled, roasted, mixed with spaghetti, and used in soups, among other things. This plant’s leaves are big, simple, prickly, rough, and alternating with setae lobing and vascularity.
– Growth Requirements
Winter squash is native to South and Central America and grows quickly in fairly wet soil with full sunshine. This plant resembles a watermelon vine but does not grow watermelon-lookalike fruit.
The winter squash thrives in huge landscapes, but it also works well in gardens of vegetables, on pergolas, and as a cover crop for exposed soil. In addition, it woudl also grows quickly from seed, especially in warm soils.
You should plant Cucurbita Argyrosperma in early summer, late spring, or after the last frost. It produces fruits of various forms and colors that are utilized for decoration, and the seeds are edible. The fruits frequently have a beautiful striped and speckled design.
4. Hubbard Squash
The Hubbard Squash, or Cucurbita Maxima, is a seasonal vegetable vine indigenous to South America in the Cucurbitaceae family.
– Features
The cucurbita is a Latin word meaning gourd, and maxima is also a Latin word meaning largest, as these not so indoor plants may yield quite huge fruits. This enormous vine uses tendrils to climb onto buildings or trails along the ground. It produces yellow fruit-bearing blossoms in the fall.
This plant grows soft or tough berry-like fruits known as pepos that are picked in the fall and come in a range of colors, forms, and sizes.
The leaves and berries of this shrub are harmful to animals, especially cattle, however, they normally avoid eating it due to the spines.
– Growth Requirements
This plant grows quickly and prefers fairly wet soil with full sun exposure. This vine works best in wide landscapes, but it also works well in gardens, on wooden structures, and as a cover for subsoil.
It grows quickly from seed, especially in warm soils, this is why it grows perfectly when it is thriving in summer and gets cultivated in early fall. The latter is the reason why you should transplant this plant in springtime, summer, autumn, or after the late winter. In comparison to other species, the fruit stems of this plant have a delicate corky feel.
5. Cucamelon
Cucamelons are little fruits that have a flavor identical to a cucumber but are somewhat sour when eaten. If you don’t like sour items, take them off the bush early since the sour flavor intensifies as they mature.
They are rarely larger than one inch in length. Cucamelons, like watermelons and cucumbers, are members of the cucurbit family.
– Features
They resemble small watermelons on the outside but are completely green on the inside. This plant is strong and may reach heights of over ten feet if trellised. They are native to Venezuela and Mexico and thrive in warm regions.
In addition, they have a similar feel to grapes, however, the exterior is somewhat harder. When you eat through a Cucamelon, the outer surface gives it a crunchy feeling.
The Cucamelon is known by several different names including Melothria Scabra which is its scientific name. Although it is also known as the Mexican Sour Cucumber, Mexican Small Watermelon, Mouse Melon, or Mexican Sour Gherkin.
Cucamelons, grow yearly if the roots are not injured by freezing temperatures, so you don’t have to replant them every year if you take proper plant care.
– Growth Requirements
In order to grow this watermelon-lookalike, you must make sure that the conditions are warm enough, and the sun is directly on it, basically, it is not cold resistant, and will not thrive in less than sixty degrees Fahrenheit without proper care.
Furthermore, make sure that soil that it is in is one that would be rich in organic material, and a well draining one, which is will not let water sit.
6. Citron Melon
The citron melon is distinct from other melons in that it has a distinct flavor, yellow-green flesh and unusual ribbed shape. It is an old cultivar that has been used medicinally and in various culinary recipes for centuries.
– Features
The fruit of citron melon is also known by many other names such as lemon melon, Japanese citron, Japanese lemon and Chinese green cucumber.
Appearance-wise, the citron melon looks like a deformed watermelon with shaggy yellow-green rind, white specks and a yellow-greenish flesh. It has a ribbed shape and the outer skin is comparatively dry and rough. Because of its shape and size, it is also given the nickname “Jumbo Casaba”.
Citron melons are highly aromatic and smell somewhat like lemon. The flavor is tangy, sweet and acidic. Citron melons have some significant health benefits. It contains high concentrations of vitamin A, which is good for eye health, as well as vitamin C, magnesium, iron and folate. It also has antioxidant capabilities and can reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of cancer.
– Growth Requirements
Make sure that you are growing your citron melon in a rich soil, that is fertile, in addition, the soil must drain the water that is accumulated well, because this way it will vine and produce fruit the right way. Furthermore, the weather should be a warmer one, so that it would feel well established and grow.
7. Prickly Paddy Melon
Prickly paddy melon or Cucumis Myriocarpus is an edible fruit native to many parts of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. The plant is a perennial species of nightshade with a sprawling habit, with fruit that are typically bright yellow or orange.
It contains large, oval fruits with slightly waxy exteriors that can range in color anywhere from a light green to golden yellow or deep orange.
– Features
Prickly paddy melon is also known by many other common names, including custard apple, custard pear, Gullofruit, summer pear, fermentation fruit, and even bullocks heart.
At first glance, prickly paddy melon looks remarkably similar to a watermelon, which is why some people have a hard time to distinguish them.
Like the watermelon, prickly paddy melon also has a rind that can contain large, dense, and sometimes spiny, hence its common name, protuberances.
Also, like watermelon, the seeds of prickly paddy melon can be found inside the fleshy interior of the fruit and these seeds are small, hard, and dark brown or black. The flesh of prickly paddy melon, however, is not as sweet and juicy as watermelon’s fruit. Instead, it is crunchy and slightly bitter and can vary in both color and texture.
8. Yellow Watermelon
The Yellow Watermelon is a unique plant with a remarkable story to its discovery and cultivation. They draw on the same principles as traditional red watermelons, yet have slightly different characteristics such as color, sweetness, and cultivation technique. Yellow watermelon originated in small towns in Egypt and have spread around the world over the years.
– Features
It has a slightly sweeter taste than its red counterpart, making it a great choice for those who have a taste for sweeter fruits. It is usually a bit smaller than red watermelon plants as well, making it easier to transport.
The cultivation of yellow watermelon is almost identical to that of red watermelon. One unique technique is the time at which the melon should be picked. With yellow watermelon, it is recommended to let the fruit get to a golden/yellow color before harvesting.
This ensures that the sweetness will be at its maximum. Additionally, care must be taken to ensure that the fruit does not suffer from heat bursts, which can harm its flavor and ripening. Yellow watermelon appears just like a traditional red watermelon, but its obvious distinguishing feature is the yellowish exterior shell with yellow flesh.
– Growth Requirements
Although it does look very must like a watermelon, but this fruit is a bit different. For instance, it will grow bets whenever the weather is hot, and the fruit oversees hours of direct sunlight. Furthermore, you must make sure that it grow in a soil that is highly fertile, and that it wouldn’t hold any water at the bottom.
9. Santa Claus Melon
Santa Claus melon, also known by its scientific name Cucumis Melo, is a melon-like plant native to regions of Asia and South America. Despite its peculiar name, the Santa Claus Melon bears a strong resemblance to the Watermelon in both form and nutritional content.
Though it was mostly overlooked in its native countries, the recent popularity of exotic produce has put the Santa Claus melon back into the spotlight.
– Features
The Santa Claus melon’s outer layer is a pale green color, similar to that of a Honeydew melon. This melon has a unique flavor compared to other sweet melons as in it is sweet with a hint of cucumber-like bitterness.
The shape is also similar, with an oval shape that can reach over two feet in length. The flesh of the melon is slightly pinker than that of a Watermelon, but otherwise the inner layers are fairly similar. The Santa Claus melon can range from a few pounds in weight to upwards of eight pounds.
– Growth Requirements
When the sunlight condition is between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, this melon will be in the right condition to grow, furthermore, note that you must water it frequently, because it will grow through proper conditions of watering, through this, you must make sure that the soil does not hold any water, so that the roots won’t get damaged easily.
Conclusion
This list has provided you with detailed information about plants that look like watermelons and you have learned a lot by going through this post. Now, for a quick summary:
- If you are willing to grow vegetable plants that have similarities with watermelon, we recommend you cultivate the Winter Squash or the Hubbard Squash.
- Plants such as Watermelon Peperomia, or Metallic Peperomia are excellent choices for keeping as houseplants.
- The Yellow Watermelon or Citron Melon are examples of fruits that look a lot like watermelon but differ in flavor, color, and size.
Now that you know everything about watermelon-look-alike plants, it will be easier for you to choose any plant you like.
