Wild Cucumber Weeds

Cucumis myriocarpus

• The flowers of C. myriocarpus are between 4/5 inch and 2 1/4 inches wide. The greenish-white or greenish-yellow blossoms appear singly or in very small clusters. The fruits are prickly, but the spines are less dense and weaker than their counterparts in other wild cucumber species. The leaves resemble those of a maple tree, and they have a rough texture. The plant's curly tendrils are positioned opposite each leaf.

Marah macrocarpus

• Also called Cucamonga man-root, M. macrocarpus is a broadleaf perennial vine. The large leaves have three to seven lobes that may themselves be lobed. The star-shaped female flowers appear singly until late in the season, when they occur in groups. The male flowers, which appear in clusters, are less than 1 inch across. The fruits range from 1 1/2 to 8 inches long, and they are covered with prickly spines. When they are ripe, the fruits burst and eject their seeds onto the ground.

Echinocytis lobata

• Also known as balsam apple, E. lobata is an annual herbaceous vine. The name comes from echinos, the Greek word for hedgehog, and cystis, the term for bladder. Both aptly describe the fruit, which resembles a round, prickly cucumber, each of which contains four seeds. In July or August, the plant produces clusters of white male flowers 1/3 inch wide, while the female flowers appear singly. The leaves feature three to five triangular lobes.

Wild Cucumber Uses

• Native American tribes once used most parts of the wild cucumber for medicinal and ornamental purposes. The roots and seeds of M. macrocarpus were useful as a fish poison, and they created black and red paint from the seeds. The roots and seeds were employed as medicinal remedies, and the boiled leaves were used as a poultice for hemorrhoids. Wild cucumber stems served as a form of string, and the seeds were polished and made into necklaces.

Control

• Wild cucumber can become invasive or grow in an inconvenient spot where it interferes with cultivated plants. When that happens, the best control is digging up seedlings before they are no taller than 2 feet. Larger plants can be controlled by severing the stems near the soil before the plant flowers. Because most wild cucumber vines can sprout from the root, the process may have to be repeated. Use post-emergence herbicides before the vines climb other plants. Any herbicide that will kill wild cucumber vines will eliminate the supporting plants as well.