# Help me identify this plant **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-plant/317628 "2005-08-18T18:47:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![moonstarssun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@moonstarssun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonstarssun)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-plant/317628/1 "2005-08-18T18:47:11Z")
We had a couple of volunteer veggies show up next to our compost bin this year, so we let them grow just to see what we got. One is mini pumpkins, but the other I’m not sure about. The plant looks pumpkin-like, but the blossoms are yellow and about the size of a 50-cent piece. We have one small fruit starting. It’s about the size of a cherry tomato, green, and covered with fuzz. I thought watermelon or squash, but no idea what kind if it’s the latter. Experienced gardeners, what should I prepare to harvest? ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-plant/317628/2 "2005-08-18T18:52:17Z")
Cucumber? ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-plant/317628/3 "2005-08-18T19:51:14Z")
Perhaps a Kiwi fruit? They grow on vines. ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-plant/317628/4 "2005-08-18T20:13:33Z")
Sounds like a wild gourd. Here’s the [flower](http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/okwild/images/wldgourd.jpg), here’s the [fruit.](http://www.ringneckdove.com/Wilmer's%20WebPage/slides%20old/16_wild%20gourd.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-plant/317628/5 "2005-08-18T23:44:19Z")
Sounds alot like a type of melon. Canteloupes have smaller yellow flowers and small fuzzy green fruit. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-plant/317628/6 "2005-08-19T07:56:30Z")
Ooh I know I know - pick me pick me !! Courgette / Zuchinni. At least the flower is identical to the flowers on my Mum’s courgettes at home altho’ her ‘fruit’ are the traditional long green ones - yours looks like one of the paler green round varieties that I see on market stalls here in France (we can also buy yellow ones). They taste mighty fine btw. ---
**Author:** ![moonstarssun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@moonstarssun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonstarssun)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-plant/317628/7 "2005-08-19T14:26:02Z")
Thanks everyone! You’re mentioning all kinds of exciting possibilities I hadn’t thought of. I’ll keep an eye on it and see if it starts looking like anything in particular soon. I checked today and it’s about 1 1/2 inches long, still green and fuzzy, and kind of egg-shaped. If it’s cucumber or zucchini, I’m guessing the next question I post will be–anyone have good recipes that use lots of these? ---
**Author:** ![moonstarssun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@moonstarssun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonstarssun)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-plant/317628/8 "2005-10-06T20:45:57Z")
I know you’ve all been waiting impatiently to find out what the mystery plant turned out to be, so I’ll end the suspense. It’s a cantaloupe! We got three melons about the size of grapefruit off the plant. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-plant/317628/9 "2005-10-07T08:07:46Z")
> [@moonstarssun](#): > > I know you’ve all been waiting impatiently to find out what the mystery plant turned out to be, so I’ll end the suspense. It’s a cantaloupe! We got three melons about the size of grapefruit off the plant. Wow ! and I was so sure ☹ Oh well, hope you enjoyed them.