# Oneseed Bur Cucumber (*Sicyos angulatus*) The Oneseed Bur Cucumber is a fun plant with spiky fruits that look like tiny green balls! It grows in warm places and can climb up other plants for support. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Oneseed Bur Cucumber](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sicyos_angulatus_001.JPG&width=800) Photo: User:SB_Johnny, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sicyos_angulatus_001.JPG) ## Appearance The Oneseed Bur Cucumber is a fast-growing, sprawling vine with rough, hairy stems. It has palmate, lobed leaves resembling true cucumbers. Small, greenish-white flowers appear, followed by distinctive clusters of dry, bur-like fruits, each covered in stiff spines. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Cucurbitales - **Family:** Cucurbitaceae - **Genus:** Sicyos ## Interesting facts - Despite its name, you wouldn't want to eat this "cucumber" fruit! - It's related to watermelons and pumpkins, not just regular cucumbers! - Its fruits have tiny hooks that make them super sticky to clothes and fur! - This fast-growing vine can cover fences and plants in just one season! ## Special abilities - **Climbing Tendrils:** Oneseed Bur Cucumber can quickly climb with coiling tendrils that help it reach sunlight and spread over other plants. - **Spiky Seed Dispersal:** Oneseed Bur Cucumber has spiky fruits that attach to animal fur, spreading seeds to new locations. - **Rapid Growth Champion:** Oneseed Bur Cucumber can grow incredibly fast, allowing it to quickly outcompete other plants for resources. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-700 cm - **Spread:** 100-300 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Drinks nectar, spreads pollen. - **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Visits flowers for nectar. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — May browse its leaves. - **Eaten by:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Eats seeds from burs. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't touch the spiky fruits too much; they can be prickly! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Oneseed Bur Cucumber? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Oneseed Bur Cucumber? 300-700 cm ### How wide does Oneseed Bur Cucumber spread? 100-300 cm ### How big are the flowers on Oneseed Bur Cucumber? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Oneseed Bur Cucumber bloom? Summer to fall ### Is Oneseed Bur Cucumber edible? No ### Is Oneseed Bur Cucumber toxic? Mild ### What is Oneseed Bur Cucumber's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Marked Tree Lock and Siphons](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marked-tree-lock-and-siphons) — Arkansas, US · Historic Site - [North Loop](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/north-loop) — Minnesota, US · Neighborhood - [Pomme de Terre Wildlife Management Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pomme-de-terre-wildlife-management-area) — Louisiana, US · Park [View all places to see Oneseed Bur Cucumber](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/oneseed-bur-cucumber) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Oneseed Bur Cucumber: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/oneseed-bur-cucumber)