// SPECIES PROFILE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

Cantaloupe

Cucumis melo (Reticulatus Group)

Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo (Reticulatus Group)) is a cultivated annual food crop grown for its edible fruit. Family: Cucurbitaceae (gourd family). Originally from Africa & South Asia. Grown as an annual in zones 4a–11a. Mature size 1'–18". Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: Jul–Sep.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Cucurbitaceae (gourd family)
Group: crop · annual
Origin: Africa & South Asia · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 4a–11a (as an annual)
Mature size: 1'–18"
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Edible parts: fruit
Harvest (NE OK): Jul–Sep
Garden role: heat-loving melon · sandy or raised beds · bee-pollinated summer fruit

Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo (Reticulatus Group)) — *Cucumis melo (Reticulatus Group)* — Cantaloupe. Photo by Rasbak at Dutch Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: heat-loving melon · sandy or raised beds · bee-pollinated summer fruit. A cultivated food crop — not a native — grown alongside regional natives in Rooted Revival's kitchen-garden and food-forest designs. Harvest windows are for northeastern Oklahoma (USDA zone 7a).

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen garden or food-forest guild, cantaloupe pairs well with: Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), Sweet Corn (Zea mays var. rugosa), Cowpea / Black-Eyed Pea (Vigna unguiculata), Dill (Anethum graveolens).