garden cucumber
Cucumis sativus L.
Garden cucumber is an annual vine that can climb with tendrils or spread along the ground. Its familiar crisp crop is harvested while green; fruits left until yellow are overripe for the usual culinary uses. North Carolina’s extension account describes plants spreading about three to eight feet, with rapid growth during warm weather. NC State Extension: Cucumis sativus
Botanical name
Kew accepts Cucumis sativus L. in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. Kew POWO: Cucumis sativus
Recognizing the plant
Rough, hairy leaves are carried on long stalks and divided into three to five lobes, with toothed edges and a wrinkled surface. Small yellow flowers have five joined petals. Many cultivars bear separate male and female flowers on one plant, while some selected forms have only female flowers. The elongated cucumber is botanically a pepo, a rind-bearing berry. Young fruits can be prickly, and their eventual size and surface texture vary among cultivars. NC State Extension: Cucumis sativus
Bloom window
North Carolina extension cultivation account
Summer is the recorded flowering and harvest season in this regional garden account. NC State Extension: Cucumis sativus
Native range
The species is native from the Himalaya through parts of southwestern and southern China to northern Thailand. Kew includes Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Assam in its native distribution, and records introductions well beyond this Asian range. Kew POWO: Cucumis sativus
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.