Practical
Plants

Cyclanthera pedata

Achoccha

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
4.5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

Fruit. Young fruits are eaten raw or cooked and have a similar taste to cucumbers though they are not crisp[1][2]. Older fruits are cooked, they can be stuffed in much the same way as marrows[1][3]. The fruit is about 6 - 15cm long[3] and 6cm wide[4]. Leaves and tender young shoots - cooked[1].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
C. and S. America.
Habitat
Not known
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 10+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow mid spring in a rich compost in a warm greenhouse. Put 2 or 3 seeds in a pot and thin the seedlings to the strongest plant. Plant out after the last expected frost and give the plants some protection such as a cloche until they are growing away well.

Cultivation

Requires a very warm, sunny and sheltered position in a rich well-drained soil[4]. The achocha is occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit in S. America, there are many named forms[3]. Plants are not very cold-hardy in Britain and are normally grown in a greenhouse. However, if the plants are started in a greenhouse in the spring and grown on well it is possible to get reasonable yields in most years outdoors in Britain. Fruiting plants have been seen outdoors on a number of occasions at Kew Botanical gardens[K].

References

  1. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-207-14383-8

    ↩

  3. Popenoe. H. et al Lost Crops of the Incas National Academy Press 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-309-04264-X

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

Edit this page