Prickly Cucumber
ExplorePlants
Prickly Cucumber
echinocystis lobata
The Prickly Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) is a fast-growing, native annual vine belonging to the gourd family. Characterized by its energetic climbing habit, this plant utilizes highly sensitive, coiling tendrils to scale shrubs, trees, and fences, often reaching heights of several meters in a single season. During mid-to-late summer, it produces dense, upright spikes of small, star-shaped white-green flowers that contrast beautifully with its star-like, lobed leaves. Despite its intriguing appearance and resemblance to culinary cucumbers, its fruit is inedible and dry.
Habitat: Found in moist soils along riverbanks, woodland edges, damp thickets, and low-lying disturbed areas.
Appearance
This vigorous vine features alternate, light-green leaves with five distinct, sharply pointed lobes, giving them a star-like appearance. It produces two types of flowers on the same plant: small, fragrant, creamy-white male flowers arranged in upright clusters, and solitary female flowers at the leaf axils. The most distinctive feature is the inflated, egg-shaped fruit, which grows up to 5 centimeters long, is covered in soft, flexible green prickles, and eventually dries to a brown, papery, mesh-like skeleton containing four large, flat seeds.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderCucurbitalesFamilyCucurbitaceaeGenusEchinocystis
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
Be the first to snap!
Interesting facts
Despite its name and resemblance to edible garden cucumbers, the prickly cucumber contains bitter cucurbitacins and is toxic to humans.
It is also known as 'wild cucumber' or 'mock cucumber,' but belongs to a completely different genus (Echinocystis) than the cultivated cucumber.
The dried, fibrous interior of the empty fruit resembles a net-like skeleton, which historically saw utility use similar to natural loofah sponges.
Special abilities
Ability
Rapid Tactile Coiling
The tendrils react quickly to physical touch, wrapping securely around nearby vegetation within minutes to climb toward sunlight.
Ability
Explosive Bottom Release
Upon maturity, the base of the hollow, dry fruit opens up, dropping the seeds through the bottom holes to ensure successful dispersal.
Ability
Hyper-Fast Annual Growth
As an annual, it germinates, climbs up to eight meters, flowers, and sets seed all within a single temperate growing season.
Measurements & details
- Length
- 300+ cm
- Lifespan
- 0+ years
- Clutch Size
- 4+
- Incubation
- 90+ days
Diet & Feeding
As a primary producer, this plant utilizes chlorophyll to synthesize sugars from carbon dioxide and water using sunlight.
Primary Foods
- Sunlight
- Water
- Carbon Dioxide
- Soil Minerals
Ecological connections
mutualism
Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
Bees and flies visit the fragrant blossoms for nectar, acting as the primary pollinators for reproduction.
eaten by
Striped Cucumber Beetle
Acalymma vittatum
The beetles feed on the foliage and vines, occasionally introducing bacterial wilt to the plant.
competitor
Box Elder
Acer negundo
The vine climbs over the branches of the box elder to gain access to sunlight, competing for light resources.
Traits
No trait badges are assigned for this object yet.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Collections for this object will appear here as more themes are added.
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Prickly Cucumber?
The easiest way to identify Prickly Cucumber is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How long is Prickly Cucumber?
300+ cm
How long does Prickly Cucumber live?
0+ years
What does Prickly Cucumber eat?
As a primary producer, this plant utilizes chlorophyll to synthesize sugars from carbon dioxide and water using sunlight.
Where is Prickly Cucumber usually found?
Found in moist soils along riverbanks, woodland edges, damp thickets, and low-lying disturbed areas.
How many eggs does Prickly Cucumber lay?
4+
How long do Prickly Cucumber eggs take to hatch?
90+ days
Snap Map
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Recent Snaps
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Where to spot
Park30 sightings12 species
Massachusetts, US
Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary
You might spot Painted Turtle, White Turtlehead, and Ragged-Robin.
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Park30 sightings12 species
Iowa, US
Fort Atkinson
You might spot Guelder-Rose, Prickly Cucumber, and Bluegill.
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Park18 sightings12 species
North Dakota, US
Fort Clark Trading Post State Historic Site
You might spot Woodhouse's Toad, Scarlet Globemallow, and Turkey.
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Park27 sightings12 species
Illinois, US
Mount Carroll Historic District
You might spot Virginia Bluebells and Wavy-Lined Emerald.
View guide →
Park27 sightings12 species
Illinois, US
Scales Mound Historic District
You might spot Prickly Cucumber and Golden Oyster Mushroom.
View guide →
Park30 sightings12 species
New Hampshire, US
South Newbury Village Historic District
You might spot Wood Nettle and Water Chickweed.
View guide →
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