West Indian Gherkin Plant Care
Cucumis anguria L.
Updated · Sources · How we source care data
Cucumis anguria, commonly known as maroon cucumber, West Indian gherkin, maxixe, burr gherkin, cackrey, and West Indian gourd, is a vine that is indigenous to Africa, but has become naturalized in the New World, and is cultivated in many places. It is similar and related to the common cucumber (C.
Full sun
At a glance
How do you care for West Indian Gherkin?
West Indian Gherkin grows best in full sun.
Where Is the West Indian Gherkin Native To?
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Djibouti
- DR Congo
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- The Gambia
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
What Is the West Indian Gherkin?
West Indian Gherkin (Cucumis anguria) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family within the Cucumis genus. West Indian Gherkin is native to Africa. West Indian Gherkin is also known as Burr Gherkin, Gooseberry Gourd, Jellito.
West Indian Gherkin displays a trailing vine growth habit, reaching up to tall with a spread of approximately . West Indian Gherkin produces yellow, funnel-shaped blooms.
What Light Does the West Indian Gherkin Need?
West Indian Gherkin thrives in full sun.
Light Requirement
Full sun
What Soil Mix Works Best for a West Indian Gherkin?
Well-draining sandy loam with organic matter. Good drainage is essential for West Indian Gherkin to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.
How Do You Repot a West Indian Gherkin?
Repot annually in spring. Choose a pot one size larger than the current container, and ensure it has drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.
How Do You Propagate a West Indian Gherkin?
West Indian Gherkin can be propagated through seeds. Similar propagation techniques also apply to cucumber plant plant care, which shares the same genus.
Is the West Indian Gherkin Toxic to Pets and Children?
Pet safety not verified
The ASPCA does not list West Indian Gherkin, so we can't confirm whether it is safe for cats and dogs. Keep pets from chewing it as a precaution.
This is a general caution, not veterinary or medical advice. If your pet ate a plant, contact your vet or animal poison control.
See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.
What Pests and Diseases Affect the West Indian Gherkin?
West Indian Gherkin is susceptible to aphids, spider mites, squash bugs. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.
Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.
Keep exploring plants
West Indian Gherkin is one of many species covered in the complete plant care and identification guide, which groups plants by genus, attribute, and popularity.
It belongs to the Cucumis genus — compare its care with other Cucumis species on PlantoScan.
Cucumis is part of the Cucurbitaceae plant family — browse all Cucurbitaceae genera and species.
West Indian Gherkin thrives in bright light and direct sun — see other bright-light plants.
More Cucumis Species
Other Cucumis species in PlantoScan's care catalogue share similar watering, light, and soil preferences:
Sources
- Scientific name & taxonomy: Cucumis anguria L., family Cucurbitaceae (first published in Sp. Pl. : 1011 (1753)) — World Flora Online record, IPNI name record.
- Pet toxicity: Pet safety not verified: the ASPCA does not list West Indian Gherkin, so we can't confirm whether it is safe for cats and dogs. Checked against the ASPCA plant list; any other toxicity note on this page comes from PlantoScan's plant database.
- Care values(watering, light, temperature, humidity, soil, fertilizing): PlantoScan's plant database, filtered by automatic plausibility checks — values that fail them are hidden. How we source and check plant data.
Spotted a mistake? Email info@upvision.media with the page link — we check and correct reported errors.
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