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Canteloupe

Cucumis melo

—
Not native

Not native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height
6–9 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Usually moist

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual

Not yet recorded · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 24 Florida counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

22CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Cucumis

  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
  • Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
  • Diaphania hyalinataMelonworm Moth
  • Diaphania nitidalisPickleworm Moth
  • Eichlinia cucurbitaeSquash Vine Borer
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Feltia repletaReplete Dart
Show all 22
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
  • Omiodes simialis
  • Phidotricha erigens
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Cucumis

  • Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Cucurbitaceae
Hardiness
Zones 2a–11b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Yellow

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Cantaloupe; Guld Coast Melon; Honeydew; Musk Melon; Muskmelon

Conservation status

Florida rankSNA
Global rankGNR
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources