Dischidia ovata (Melon)

New Guinea, Queensland and the Watermelon name

Dischidia ovata comes from New Guinea and northern Queensland. In the wild, it climbs trees and grows on rocks in warm, humid places, including coastal areas.

The common name Watermelon Dischidia comes from the pale striping across the green leaves.

Watermelon Dischidia care

• Light: Give bright indirect light. Strong direct sun can scorch the leaves.
• Temperature: Aim for about 18–29°C, avoid sudden temperature changes and protect the plant from cold draughts.
• Humidity: Around 60–80% humidity suits this species, with enough air movement to keep the leaves from staying damp.
• Watering: Keep the mix lightly moist and let the pot drain well after watering. This species is sensitive to too much water.
• Potting mix: Coconut husk, sphagnum moss, perlite and vermiculite can be combined into a light mix that drains well and leaves plenty of air around the roots.
• Feeding: Add a dilute balanced fertiliser when the plant is making new leaves and stems.
• Support: Use a hanging pot for cascading growth, or offer a trellis or textured surface for climbing stems.
• Repotting: Repot after roots fill the container or the mix starts breaking down.
• Propagation: Stem cuttings can be rooted to produce new plants.

Watermelon Dischidia problems and safety

• Roots or stem bases become soft and leaves turn yellow: The potting mix is staying too wet and root rot is developing. Trim rotted roots and stems back to firm healthy tissue with a clean disinfected tool, discard the affected tissue and repot into fresh airy mix.
• Brown or dark leaf spots develop: Persistently wet leaves and poor air movement can encourage spotting. Keep routine watering off the foliage and improve air movement around the plant.
• Stems become long and sparsely leafed: Light is too low. Move the plant gradually into brighter indirect light.
• Leaves drop after a change in conditions: Sudden changes in temperature, humidity or watering can trigger leaf loss. Keep the plant in a stable position and return to a regular watering routine while it recovers.
• Mealybugs, spider mites or scale appear: Isolate the plant, identify the pest and apply a treatment labelled for it, following the label and repeat interval.

Safety: The sap can irritate skin and eyes, and swallowing the plant may cause mild poisoning symptoms. Keep it out of reach of children and pets and wash exposed skin promptly after sap contact.

Dischidia ovata (Melon) is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs, and avoid contact with its milky sap.
• The sap can irritate the mouth, digestive tract, skin and eyes.
• Exposure may cause mouth burning, vomiting, stomach pain, or skin and eye irritation. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop.

Who first published Dischidia ovata, and what does the name mean?

Dischidia combines Greek dis, meaning twice, with schizein, meaning to split, referring to the divided lobes of the staminal corona. The Latin epithet ovata means ovate or egg-shaped.

Robert Brown established the genus Dischidia in 1810 in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, page 461.

George Bentham first described Dischidia ovata in 1843 in London Journal of Botany, volume 2, page 226.