Cucumis sativus.
A botanical curiosity with irresistible charm — a round, pale yellow, slightly downy cucumber the size and shape of a lemon, hence the name, which has nothing to do with the taste. Introduced to North America around 1894 by the Burpee house, it originally comes from the gardens of northern India, where it has been cultivated for centuries for its mildness and its tolerance to dry heat.
Its flesh is white, crunchy, juicy, without a trace of the bitterness that sometimes affects standard cucumbers — even when the fruit is large, it stays tender and easy to digest. The thin, delicate skin needs no peeling. Perfect crunched as-is like an apple, sliced into a salad, pickled, or served in sticks to children, who adore its toy-like look. Bonus for capricious gardens: it withstands drought and temperature swings much better than classic cucumbers.
Grower's tip: Like all cucumbers, it hates cold — sowing too early is wasting seeds. Indoor start 3 to 4 weeks before transplanting (no more, or the seedlings take the transplant poorly), or direct-sow when the soil reaches 18 °C. Install a trellis — the plant climbs readily, gains in airflow, and the fruits stay clean and well-formed. Harvest early and often; each picked fruit stimulates new ones.
- Open-pollinated. Monoecious, bee-pollinated; crosses easily with other nearby cucumbers — isolate for seed saving.
- Height: climbing stems 1.5 to 2 m, to be trellised.
- Maturity: 60 to 70 days after transplant.
- Exposure: full sun.
- Rich, well-drained soil, kept cool with good mulching. Space plants 40 to 50 cm apart.
- Indoor start 3 to 4 weeks before last frost, or direct-sow in early June once the soil is well warmed (18 °C minimum).
