Exploding Cucumber, Seed-spitting Gourd

It's important not to confuse this edible species, which is usually called the squirting cucumber, with the OTHER squirting cucumber, Ecb...Read Moreallium elaterium, which is poisonous.

I grow this plant first year. This is large vigorous climber with shoots obove 2 meters (7 ft) or more long. Spines on fruit are rather s...Read Moreoft, not danger. Lack spines on twigs or leaves. Ripe fruit burst and spread seeds (explode). This fruit are vegetable but are small and not very profited. They have taste like cucumber when raw. They must be gathered when are very small, when lack ripe seeds into. I think that this plant is not resistant for frost, which kill it. This plant very good grow and fruit in Middle Europe. Does not drought resistant.

This vine grows like wildfire, much like a cucumber or hop but it grows fast! Give it plenty of room to grow either with a large trellis ...Read Moreor up strings as it can easily grow 40'. It'll produce plenty of flowers that'll turn into small hedgehog type fruits that will 'explode' violently upon ripening spreading their seeds up to many feet. The fruits can be picked early and eaten raw, or you can wait for them to explode before eating them.
Use good compost and full sun preferably in a hotter climate than the UK but I've had great results with rearing the plants in a greenhouse and then planting outside in early summer in the UK.