Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) are a common edible plant in the gourd family cultivated for its edible fruit. Cucumbers are grown as vine or bush plants, with three main types of cucumber fruit: pickling, slicing and burpless. Native to Southeast Asia, cucumbers were first mentioned in Indian literature 3,000 years ago. Today, these popular garden plants are common worldwide. They need warm weather and plenty of water in order to produce abundant fruit.