Squirting cucumber
A sprawling cucurbit of roadsides and village edges with yellow flowers from spring to autumn; a long-lasting minor nectar and pollen source.
- Nectar
- Medium
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0.2-0.6 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Squirting cucumber is common on the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts on disturbed ground such as rubbish dumps, roadsides and around villages. Male and female flowers are separate; honey bees collect the nectar at the base of the yellow, bell-shaped flowers and the pollen of the male flowers.
Flowering
It flowers from April to September, and even longer in moist places. Individual plants carry few flowers, but because flowering lasts for months it is a steady small source for bees during the summer dearth.
Honey and pollen
No monofloral honey is known; its nectar ends up in mixed summer honey.
Note for the beekeeper
The sap and ripe fruit contain strongly irritant and toxic cucurbitacins; when the fruit is touched, the seeds squirt out with the juice, which is dangerous if it gets into the eyes. No reports are known of this toxicity passing into honey. Wear gloves and goggles when clearing around the hives.