Cyclanthera pedata
| Cyclanthera pedata | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 10 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 15' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Cyclanthera pedata (common name: achoccha)
Propagation: Seed - sow mid spring in a rich compost in a warm greenhouse. Put 2 or 3 seeds in a pot and thin the seedlings to the strongest plant. Plant out after the last expected frost and give the plants some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away well.
Cultivation: Requires a very warm, sunny and sheltered position in a rich well-drained soil[1].
The achocha is occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit in S. America, there are many named forms[2]. Plants are not very cold-hardy in Britain and are normally grown in a greenhouse. However, if the plants are started in a greenhouse in the spring and grown on well it is possible to get reasonable yields in most years outdoors in Britain. Fruiting plants have been seen outdoors on a number of occasions at Kew Botanical gardens[K].
Range: C. and S. America.
Edibility: Fruit. Young fruits are eaten raw or cooked and have a similar taste to cucumbers though they are not crisp[3][4]. Older fruits are cooked, they can be stuffed in much the same way as marrows[3][2]. The fruit is about 6 - 15cm long[2] and 6cm wide[1].
Leaves and tender young shoots - cooked[3].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Monoecious
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Popenoe, Hugh. Lost Crops of the Incas. National Academy Press, 1990.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Low, Tim. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson, 1989.