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Five-lobed Bush Pumpkin
Coccinia quinqueloba
SA tree number
English: Five-lobed Bush Pumpkin, Bush Pumpkin, Ivy Gourd, Scarlet Gourd, Wild Cucumber, Five-lobed Coccinia
Afrikaans: Wilde Komkommer, Bobbejaankomkommer, Bobbejaankomkommertjie
Historical scientific names: Bryonia quinqueloba, Cephalandra quinqueloba
Coccinia quinqueloba, commonly known as Five-lobed Bush Pumpkin or Wild Cucumber, is an indigenous perennial climber. It is easily identified by its distinctive five-lobed leaves, delicate yellow flowers, and bright red, edible, oblong fruits. This vigorous climber adds a lovely touch of greenery and colour to fences, trellises, or scrambling over other vegetation.
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Distinguishing features:
Leaves are distinctly 5-lobed, resembling a hand with five fingers.
Tendrils are simple (unbranched), originating from the leaf axils.
Flowers are separate sexes on separate plants (dioecious) and are typically bright yellow to orange-yellow.
Fruits are oblong to egg-shaped, ripening from green to bright red, and are edible.
A vigorous climber, often forming dense screens of foliage.
Overall appearance:
The Five-lobed Bush Pumpkin (Coccinia quinqueloba) is a sprawling perennial climber that produces a dense cover of attractive, deeply lobed, bright green leaves. In summer, it is adorned with cheerful yellow, bell-shaped flowers, which are later replaced by striking, bright red, oblong fruits that hang conspicuously against the foliage. It's a vibrant addition to the garden, especially where vertical coverage is desired.
Height:
As a climber, it can reach up to 5 metres or more, scrambling over fences, trellises, or other plants.
Width:
Can spread widely, covering several square metres as it twines and scrambles.
Leaves:
The leaves are alternate, simple, and deeply 5-lobed (palmately lobed), resembling an open hand with five distinct "fingers" or lobes. They are typically 5-15 cm long and wide, dark green above and paler beneath, and slightly rough to the touch. The lobes are often broad and sometimes slightly toothed. Tendrils (unbranched) emerge from the leaf axils, aiding in climbing.
Flowers:
The flowers are bell-shaped or broadly campanulate, typically bright yellow to orange-yellow, and relatively large, about 2.5-5 cm in diameter. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants (dioecious). Male flowers are usually produced in clusters, while female flowers are solitary or in pairs. Coccinia quinqueloba flowers are insect-pollinated.
Flowering season:
It primarily flowers during the summer months (around November to March).
Fruits:
The fruit is an oblong to egg-shaped berry, typically 4-7 cm long and 2-4 cm wide. It ripens from green with white spots to a shiny, brilliant red when fully mature. The fruits are fleshy and contain numerous seeds embedded in a jelly-like pulp. They are edible and have a pleasant, slightly tart taste.
Seeds:
The seeds are numerous, small, flattened, and somewhat irregularly shaped, embedded in the sweet, jelly-like pulp of the ripe fruit. Dispersal is primarily by birds and other animals that consume the fruit.
Stems:
The stems are slender, herbaceous, ribbed, and green, becoming somewhat woody at the base on older plants. They are typically hairy when young. It uses its simple tendrils to twine and climb.
Thorns:
None.
Tuber:
It has a tuberous rootstock (underground storage organ), which allows it to survive dry periods and resprout.
Soil type:
Adaptable to a range of well-drained soils, including sandy and loamy soils. It prefers rich, moist soil, ideally with added compost or organic matter.
Aspect:
Prefers full sun to partial shade. It thrives in warm conditions and can tolerate some drought once established, especially with its tuberous rootstock. It is sensitive to severe frost and will die back in winter in cold areas, resprouting from the rootstock in spring.
Ediblity:
The ripe red fruits are edible for humans. They have a pleasant, slightly tart, and refreshing taste. They can be eaten fresh or used in jams, jellies, or preserves. In some regions, young leaves and tender shoots are also cooked and eaten.
Toxicity:
The ripe fruits are edible and widely consumed. There is no known toxicity for the ripe fruit. However, like many cucurbits, it's generally advisable to avoid consuming unripe or bitter-tasting fruits, as bitterness can indicate the presence of cucurbitacins, which can be toxic.
Uses:
Primarily cultivated as an ornamental climber for its attractive foliage, cheerful flowers, and striking red fruits. It's excellent for covering pergolas, trellises, fences, walls, or scrambling through other plants. It can provide quick screening. The edible fruits are a bonus for home gardeners. In traditional medicine, various parts of the plant are sometimes used, particularly for their purgative properties.
Ecology:
The bright yellow flowers attract a variety of insect pollinators, including bees. The vibrant red fruits are eagerly consumed by numerous bird species, which play a crucial role in seed dispersal. Its dense growth provides cover and shelter for small birds and other wildlife. As a vigorous climber, it forms an important part of the undergrowth in its natural habitat, contributing to the biodiversity of bushveld and forest margins.
Distribution and habitat:
Coccinia quinqueloba is widely distributed across tropical and southern Africa, including much of South Africa. In South Africa, it is found in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng, and North West provinces. It typically grows in bushveld, open woodlands, forest margins, riverine thickets, and along roadsides, often scrambling over shrubs and trees.
Derivation of name:
The genus name Coccinia is derived from the Greek word 'kokkinos', meaning 'scarlet' or 'red', referring to the characteristic bright red colour of the mature fruits in many species within this genus.
The species epithet quinqueloba is Latin, meaning 'five-lobed' (from 'quinque' = five, and 'lobus' = lobe), referring to the distinctive five-lobed shape of its leaves, which is a key identification feature.
The common name "Wild Cucumber" refers to its botanical family (Cucurbitaceae) and its fruit, which somewhat resembles a small, wild cucumber.
Historical aspects:
As an indigenous climber with edible fruits, Coccinia quinqueloba has been known and utilised by various indigenous communities for centuries, both as a food source and in traditional medicinal practices. Its adaptability and rapid growth have ensured its continued presence in the African landscape. Its ornamental value has also led to its cultivation in gardens, appreciated for its lively appearance and the bounty of its edible fruits.
Interesting facts:
This plant has leaves that look just like a hand with five fingers spread out – super easy to recognise!
Its fruits are not only bright red and beautiful, but they're also surprisingly tasty – a real wild snack!
It's a fast-growing climber, so it's perfect if you want to quickly cover a fence or trellis with green leaves and cheerful flowers.
Even though it's called a "Wild Cucumber," its fruits are sweet and tangy, unlike the savoury cucumbers you find in the supermarket!
Growing tips:
Propagation: Easily propagated from fresh seed. Can also be grown from cuttings, or from divisions of its tuberous rootstock.
Light: Prefers full sun for abundant flowering and fruiting, but tolerates partial shade.
Watering: Water regularly during the growing season (spring and summer), especially when flowering and fruiting. Reduce watering in winter.
Soil: Plant in well-drained, fertile soil enriched with compost.
Support: Provide a trellis, fence, or other structure for it to climb on, as it is a vigorous twining climber.
Frost Protection: Sensitive to severe frost. In cold areas, it will die back in winter but usually resprouts from its tuberous rootstock in spring. Mulching the base in autumn can provide extra protection.
This plant is a fantastic alternative for:
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