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Common Name: Bur Cucumber

General Information

Sicyos angulatus is a Annual Climber up to 8.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern N. America - Quebec and Ontario to Florida, west to South Dakota, Kansas and Texas.

Habitat

River banks and damp yards[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual Climber
Height	8.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a sunny position in a moderately fertile soil.
The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts.
A very fast growing plant, capable of producing shoots up to 8 metres long in the first year from seed. The plant can be grown to provide a summer screen[].
This species occasionally self-sows[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[, , ]. They can be cooked as greens[].
The fruit is said to be edible[, ]. Possibly the seed is edible but there is no flesh on the fruit, it is just a bristly skin around the seed[]. The fruit is about 1cm long and is borne in small clusters[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the vine has been used in the treatment of venereal disease[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in mid spring in a greenhouse. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle. Make sure the compost is fairly rich and grow the plants fast. Plant them out after the last expected frosts and consider giving them some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away actively.
The seed can also be sown in situ in late spring, though this sowing might not produce mature seeds and fruit in cool summers. Plants have self-sown in Cornwall.