Hi everyone! At last the time to be out of everyone else's yard to ask "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?"

It is a delicate vine that gently has spread. Is it edible, invasive, a good thing, a keeper?
  26 answers
  • Obiwanken walter, you're my only hope. Is this from Star Wars or what?
  • Maria C Maria C on Aug 21, 2012
    Lol you are so funny, Douglas must know also.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Aug 22, 2012
    I'm stumped.
  • I can't get on your website now. Can you please give me more info? Do you or would you eat these?
  • Maria C Maria C on Aug 22, 2012
    Mouse Melon Soup Posted by Erica Smith at 5:45 PM Labels: Author:Erica, The "Eat It" Part Perhaps none of you reading this have yet had the problem of too many mouse melons, but if you grow them, you very well may (see my previous post on mouse melons for description of this vigorous plant). I recently tried to find a way to deal with this harvest: (about 4 cups, 1.5 pounds) and thought about a cucumber-yogurt cold soup I'd had recently at a local restaurant. I looked through several favorite cookbooks with recipes, and came up with a combination of ideas. On reconsideration, I'd like to try again with a recipe that doesn't involve cooking (just pureeing ingredients) but my first attempt was as follows. Mouse Melon Soup 4 cups mouse melons 4 shallots or a small onion, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (see note below) 2 tbsp butter 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 cup plain yogurt Cut the mouse melons in half lengthwise. This is tedious and probably unnecessary, but I did it and that allows me to show you what they look like inside. As you can see, no point at all in trying to seed them. Melt the butter in a saucepan (large enough for the ingredients) and cook the chopped shallots or onion until tender. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the mouse melons (except for a few you might want to reserve for garnishes), and cook about 3 minutes. Add the herbs and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes, then puree by whatever means you prefer. (If you use a blender, do it in batches.) Chill the pureed mixture in the fridge for a few hours. Just prior to serving, adjust seasonings (you may need to add salt, pepper, vinegar to taste) and mix in yogurt until smooth. Serve, with garnishes if desired. Serves 6-8 (I have leftovers). I do seem to keep coming up with olive green soups. Notes: If you don't have mouse melons (as some people may not), you could use two large cucumbers, seeds scooped out and probably skinned, chopped roughly. For herbs I used a combination of basil, mint and tarragon. I think the basil was too strong and would suggest not using it or using only a leaf or two; same with tarragon. Mint and/or dill would work better. Fennel would be interesting in small quantities. Mouse melons are a bit more sour than cucumbers, so the soup will not taste exactly like the expected cucumber-yogurt soup. I like the taste but I'm going to keep fiddling with proportions and see what happens. If anyone else out there has a bumper crop of mouse melons and would like to experiment as well, I'd be very happy to hear your results and suggestions. On the other hand, it seems a shame to pulverize these cute little veggies, at least prior to putting them in your mouth. They work well in salads; here's a link to an article on mouse melons with a salad recipe, by William Woys Weaver. (Also includes seed saving instructions, for which I am very grateful.) Read more: http://groweat.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html#ixzz24I4NHlFl
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Aug 22, 2012
    Fairy watermelon
  • Deborah Eilert Deborah Eilert on Aug 22, 2012
    comquat? no Monk fruit found it with "small vine fruit" search http://www.monkfruit.org/ Sounds interesting Can you share seeds? Now I see the cucumber post!
  • Sharron W Sharron W on Aug 22, 2012
    I thought it was passion fruit....But Walter Always knows! So you COULD eat the light green ones in a salad...but after that they become toxic...I got it... as always thanks for the interesting background on the plant Walter!
  • I think I will pass on eating it. but I might see how long it lasts in a vase with the cute curly vine spreading out.
  • Kathleen M Kathleen M on Feb 17, 2013
    A caution to those who eat the fruit. From 2bnTheWild.com: "Medical Uses: The berry is a strong laxative." http://2bnthewild.com/plants/H381.htm#Beau
  • Gayle P. Gayle P. on Feb 17, 2013
    Never seen one? Are they all over the US or just happy growing in one place?
  • Joy Hendricksen Joy Hendricksen on Feb 17, 2013
    I thought that it looked kind of like a Wild Cucumber, a plant that is native to central WI. Our Wild Cucumber has a bit of a hairy look to it. At the end of summer it turns brown and hangs on the vine like a little loofah. I would not eat it.
  • Joy Hendricksen Joy Hendricksen on Feb 17, 2013
    My husband and I both think the Wild Cucumber is a cool native plant and in the past we have allowed it to remain and it was not invasive in our yard.
  • Barbie RH Barbie RH on Feb 17, 2013
    I have a few fruits plants in my garden from my recicle mulch, to small to eat, hahaha
  • Renee Hansen Renee Hansen on Feb 17, 2013
    Wild cucumber and it will spread to everything. We had some on our place and it grew everywhere. Nasty stuff when it gets started.
  • Vicki Langstaff Vicki Langstaff on Feb 18, 2013
    I have eaten these, my son grew them last year. They are cute & look like a tiny watermelon, but are some type of gherkin, I wasn't thrilled with the flavor but thought they would be cool in a salad, or pasta salad.
  • Barbie RH Barbie RH on Feb 18, 2013
    I see Renee, but mine are left over seeds from my compost,,I recicle almost everything!
  • Dolores C Dolores C on Feb 18, 2013
    The first picture on the left looks like my gooseberry bushes.
  • I have heard that it is toxic unless prepared a certain way. I think it looks cool, but not on my roses and other flowers. Funny, it was photogenic for me!
  • Anita Faircloth Anita Faircloth on Mar 01, 2013
    My mother called it gerkins and she pickled them. Never had a problem with them being invasive.
  • Irene Irene on Jul 16, 2013
    I believe this is a mexican cucumber and if so the taste is sort of sour. I saw a picture of this on pennystomatoes.com not long ago. I think it is the same as your picture.
  • Jenni M Jenni M on Oct 14, 2013
    i could be wrong, but i think i read about this not too long ago. it's a cucamelon, comes from mexico, and yes is edible. try googling it :)
  • I thought I pulled them all last year. They are back in full force and spreading. Easy to pull out, but then they're friends move in.