Echinocystis lobata (Michx.) Torr. & A. Gray

Wild cucumber, balsam apple, prickly cucumber, wild balsam apple

Echinocycystis contains both Latin and Greek roots that translate roughly to “a sac with spines like a hedgehog,” an appropriate description of the fruit.

Plants: These plants are herbaceous vines, with tendrils that wrap around other plants and tighten to form a spring.

Leaves: Alternate leaves, lobed and slightly serrated. The leaves are an off-center star, with two small, two medium, and one longer point.

Flowers: Greenish-white, with six petals. They appear from July to early August.

Fruits: The fruits are the most interesting and unique aspect of these plants. They are initially round and densely covered with soft prickles. They extend to a length of 1–1¾″ (3–5 cm), variegated light/dark green, with prickles more spread out. They have the shape and coloration of tiny watermelons, to which they are related. In the fall the fruits, under accumulated hydrostatic pressure, open and eject their seeds, at a rather respectable speed of 38′ (11 m) per second. The empty shells, now light brown and looking a lot like a porcupine fish, often remain on the plant through the winter. As the outer layer rots away, a netlike sac of fibers remains to provoke the sense of wonder of passing naturalists (Photo 7).

Habitats: Wet ground—flood plains, river banks, borders of woods, thickets—anywhere with soggy ground and lots of sun.

Online References:

Older scientific or horticultural names

Echinocystis lobata description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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