I planted cucumbers...so what is this?

Michelle D

I planted cucumber seeds from a reputable seed company this past spring. The leaves looked like cucumbers to me. They finally started flowering a week or so ago. The flowers don't look like cucumber at all.

I just noticed today they they have developed a fruit or seed pod.

Can anyone tell me what I have here?

Torey

I've never seen a cucumber with white flowers before so I googled "cucumbers with white flowers".

Google suggested wild cucumber (which is Echinocystis lobata). This is an article from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

https://milwaukee.extension.wisc.edu/2019/08/26/wild-cucumber-invasion/

But it might also be bur cucumber (which is Sicyos angulatus). I think the pic and description is more like what you have.

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/bur-cucumber

Michelle D

@torey thank you. It does seem to be the bur cucumber.

I will probably never know but I really wonder how this happened. 🤔 I would have liked to have had cucumbers. They have definitely been useful at attracting pollinators. I will choose to see the bring side.

LaurieLovesLearning

I agree with your conclusion.

If you run across wild cucumber, be aware that it is poisonous and takes over like crazy. I have seen it a lot on trees & shrubs along trails up here. It's beautiful, but not at all a good plant to have. I had been told that it was invasive and brought here as a decorative plant so I was surprised to read that it is native.

@Michelle D I certainly would contact the company about this. How disappointing.