Crazy cucumber - is there a place for a strange vegetable in the garden

What to do for a gardener in winter? Make plans for the coming season and... remember your site!

So today I remembered that a very interesting "liana" attacked part of my fence from the neighbors. Until today, I did not know what the plant was officially called. But among the people we call it "Mad Cucumber".

I went to the Internet - it turns out that botany has 2 "Mad Cucumbers" at once. Moreover, one is recorded in scientific treatises.

They are closest relatives, outwardly similar to each other, so they are often confused. And on my site is growing a "fake", which is abstrusely called echinocystis (well, a name!). As soon as it turns out, they don't call it: both the prickly fruit and the blackberry. And all because of the not very friendly shape of the fruit.

Echinocystis rampant, or raspberry thorn (lat. Echinocýstis lobáta) is an annual herb of the Pumpkin family, the only species of the genus Echinocystis [2]. Wikipedia.

But, excuse me, I will continue to call my vine a mad cucumber.

I will write what is remarkable about this unusual plant (maybe you will like it too)!

• If the sophistication of climbing plants is not so important to you, the luxurious greens of mad cucumber are at your service! Of course, the beauty of climbing roses or clematis cannot be compared, but decorating a fence in the far corner of the site near the toilet is very possible)

In decorative floriculture, the lobed prickle has been known since 1863. Cultivated to create green trellises, vertical gardening (decoration of gazebos, balconies, hedges, etc.) Wikipedia

• It quickly forms a green carpet, and during flowering in the first half and mid-summer it becomes more cheerful thanks to the white candle inflorescences.
• Without exaggeration, I will say - it grows like a weed, without any care. Planted and forgot.
• The plant is annual, propagates by self-seeding. But it does not cause any special problems - there are not many seedlings, they pull out easily. Checked!
• And the most important thing. For which this plant was nicknamed "Mad Cucumber". Look at the photo above - the fruit vaguely resembles a cucumber in shape and appears at the end of summer. In rainy weather, a lot of liquid accumulates inside and the cucumber scatters with a crash in all directions. Looks pretty funny)

Are you familiar with such a plant? How do you like it?
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