Citrullus lanatus var. citroides

Wild watermelon

Family: Cucurbitaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Wild watermelon is a naturalized annual found in the southwestern deserts and Mojave Desert in disturbed areas at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to green flowers with distinctive large fruits. Growing with sprawling vines that can spread extensively across open ground, it develops robust branching stems. Its leaves are typically large and deeply lobed with characteristic green coloration. The fruit is notably large, green with darker green striping or mottling, containing white to black seeds within its pale flesh.

Habitat: Disturbed areas

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: SW, DMoj

California counties: Inyo, San Bernardino, Imperial, San Diego, Riverside, San Joaquin, Kings, Stanislaus, Butte, Santa Barbara

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.