Kiwano Melons.

I'm always interested in trying new fruits, so for my birthday last month my wife got a Kiwano Melon for us to try. It looks like something from another world, so much so that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine used them in the episode "Time's Orphan" (repurposed as "Golana Melon"). Covered with several hard, horn-like spikes, the Kiwano Melon, known scientifically as Cucumis metuliferus, turns a radiant orange when ripe. This contrasts with its pale-lime flesh. Kiwano Melon, in the Cucurbitaceae family, is related to cucumbers and gherkins, and the flavor of its flesh typically includes "cucumber-like" as a descriptor. I say includes because, in addition to hints of cucumber, I also tasted green banana and citrus. Deborah and I enjoyed it, but Corran wasn't too sure about the texture (as one source writes, "the pulp resembles lime-green Jell-O"). Still, he ate it...but, aside from unsweetened lemon, Corran hasn't met a fruit he hasn't liked.

Fruit of Cucumis metuliferus, the Kiwano Melon.

Cucumis metuliferus is an annual vine native to Africa and is cultivated as a traditional African food. It, along with the Gemsbok Cucumber (Acanthosicyos naudinianus), is a significant - some say only - source of water during the Kalahari Desert's dry season. When eaten fresh, most people suck out the pulp and spit out the seeds, though the seeds themselves are also edible. I saved ten of the seeds and planted them in starter pots. After all, if Kiwano Melon will grow as a crop in New Zealand and California, Colorado should have plenty of heat and sun. And, since our growing season is long enough for other melon crops, there should be more than enough time for the Kiwano Melons to ripen. I wasn't even sure if the seeds would be viable, but they were.

Growing Cucumis metuliferus trellised as a vine is the recommended method, but you can let it grow along the ground. Given its desert origins, Kiwano Melon prefers infrequent watering; allow the soil to dry out between waterings. It grows fast, so I am going to have to design and install some trellises before too long. But it will be worth it!

If you're interested in growing a Kiwano Melon, and you can't find one in your local market, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds sells packets of this and other unusual edibles and ornamentals.