Sicyos spp.

Cucurbitaceae Americas and Pacific islands

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

Overview

Sicyos spp. is a genus of annual climbing vines in the gourd family, with roughly 75 species centered in the Americas and on Pacific islands. The widespread Sicyos angulatus produces angular, hairy stems that climb by branched tendrils to 15-25 feet (4.5-7.6 m) in a season. Leaves are alternate, rounded with three to five shallow lobes, 3-8 inches (8-20 cm) wide, with toothed margins and a rough, hairy surface. Plants are monoecious, bearing separate male and female flowers; the small greenish-white blooms, 0.2-0.5 inch (5-12 mm) across, appear in summer, the males in long-stalked clusters and the females in tight heads. Female flowers develop into clusters of small, dry, spiny burs 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) long, each holding a single seed. As an annual, the plant grows, flowers, fruits, and dies within one season. Rapid growth lets the vines smother shrubs and small trees, and the species behaves as a weed in moist, disturbed ground.

Native Range

Most Sicyos spp. species are native to North, Central, and South America, with a group of species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. S. angulatus is native to eastern and central North America, where it grows along riverbanks, fence rows, woodland edges, and other moist, disturbed sites. Several species have naturalized as weeds in Europe and Asia.

Suggested Uses

Rarely cultivated, Sicyos spp. is grown occasionally on fences, trellises, and arbors for quick seasonal screening. The aggressive growth and spiny burs leave it unsuited to small or planted areas, and it is more often managed as a weed of crops and riverbanks. Hawaiian species are grown in native plant conservation programs.

How to Identify

Recognized by angular, hairy annual stems climbing with branched tendrils, broad three- to five-lobed leaves 3-8 inches (8-20 cm) wide, and clusters of small spiny burs in place of fleshy fruit. The greenish-white flowers are 0.2-0.5 inch (5-12 mm) across. The dry, bristly burs separate it from cucumbers and melons (Cucumis spp.), which bear fleshy fruit.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height15' - 25'

Width/Spread3' - 6'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Summer

Flowering occurs in summer, mainly July through September, after the vines have made substantial growth. Male and female flowers open on the same plant over several weeks. Burs ripen from late summer into fall, and the vines die at the first hard frost.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam silt sand

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Sicyos spp. grows in full sun to part shade on moist, fertile soils with steady water, and growth slows in dry conditions. As an annual, it is raised from seed sown after the soil warms, germinating in one to two weeks. The vines climb quickly and can overwhelm nearby plants within a season. Cucumber beetles and powdery mildew, common in the gourd family, may affect the foliage. Plants self-sow heavily where burs are left to ripen.

Pruning

Vines can be cut back during the season to limit spread onto other plants. Removing the spiny burs before they ripen reduces self-sowing the following year. Frost kills the plant, and dead vines are cleared in fall.