Wild Cucumber is a long growing, Summer dormant vine that has light to medium leaves that are reminiscent of ivy or grape but smaller. It is often growing in shady wet areas and is almost always found growing up Oak trees or similar shrubs. The flowers are white and star shaped. Not super showy. They emerge quickly after the vine does. Every year the vine in the Summer and sprout new in the Winter. The flowers turn into large sized cucumber like fruit that have tons of spikes on them. Coyotes eat this plant and poop out the seeds, which causes them to spread. The root of this plant is apparently so large its the size of a human man. People who are digging sometimes come across this client like mass in the earth and not sure what it is. Well, its Wild Cucumber.

In the garden, this plant is used by CA Native plant enthusiast but not much else. These pop up in the gardens of many people who live near wild spaces. Most try to spray it dead. Some leave it and get sick of it. I like to leave mine. They don’t seem to harm much. I may change my mind as time progresses.