What looks like a watermelon...but isn't?

[N80]

I believe that the candied citron in fruit cake is made from the citrus citron not the melon type. And have we all learned more than we ever thought possible about this obscure fruit? You just have to love this site.

I think you are right. We should only be using the official Latin designations to avoid confusion.

Citron melon =Citrullus lanatus or amarus.

Citron Fruit =Citrus medica

 

[oosik]

Hmmm - more than I ever hoped to know about a melon that doesn't grow in our area. Some animal must eat them, otherwise how would they spread.

Got to admit - they do look tasty.

 

[diego96]

Hi,
Found this thread trying to identify a "volunteer plant" I had growing on my property. The plant looks like a watermelon. It produced a small melon (I didn't see the flower). The melon looks like a tiny watermelon. After it got a little soft, I harvested it. Inside it looks like a watermelon. It smells like watermelon. The seeds look like watermelon. So I ate half of it. I ain't dead yet, and it tasted just like a tiny watermelon.
So I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that it was a tiny watermelon. I can't account for the tiny size when it was ripe- maybe they just stay tiny if they don't get regular water?
Anyways, I'll post some pics (if I can figure it out) in case someone finds something similar. I saved the seeds, just to see if I can grow "personal size" watermelons.
-D

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Hi,
Found this thread trying to identify a "volunteer plant" I had growing on my property. The plant looks like a watermelon. It produced a small melon (I didn't see the flower). The melon looks like a tiny watermelon. After it got a little soft, I harvested it. Inside it looks like a watermelon. It smells like watermelon. The seeds look like watermelon. So I ate half of it. I ain't dead yet, and it tasted just like a tiny watermelon.
So I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that it was a tiny watermelon. I can't account for the tiny size when it was ripe- maybe they just stay tiny if they don't get regular water?
Anyways, I'll post some pics (if I can figure it out) in case someone finds something similar. I saved the seeds, just to see if I can grow "personal size" watermelons.
-D

View attachment 524046

Do you live near a nuclear power plant?

 

[cqaigy2]

I don't remember the name of the plants, but last year we planted some melons that were more suited to our location, short season, low heat units, they were pretty small, like your picture. Tasted pretty good, as i remember.

 

[diego96]

I don't remember the name of the plants, but last year we planted some melons that were more suited to our location, short season, low heat units, they were pretty small, like your picture. Tasted pretty good, as i remember.

We get tons of light and heat here- I'm wondering if this is just what happens when a watermelon doesn't get enough water? I'll plant a couple of the seeds and post back if they grow tiny melons. Either way, it was kinda cool that a watermelon just kinda volunteered itself. I don't have any watermelons growing anywhere, and in fact, I don't even have much landscaping (drought irrigation restriction).