Family: SOLANACEAE
"Pepino dulce" is Spanish for sweet cucumber and this was the name given to this fruit. The English abbreviation of pepino simply means cucumber, so is actually quite meaningless. The name however has stuck. In Peru it is called cachun.
It was possibly a native of Columbia but the exact origin of the plant is not known as it no longer exists in the wild. It may even be a natural hybrid of Solatium basendopogon a rather rare native of Peru.
The plant varies in habit from a trailing vine or a climber, to an erect shrub, which usually needs support. It easy to establish in most situations and makes a good nurse crop in establish-ing orchards. It is frost tender and prefers full sun to partial shade.
The fruit grows to about 200 mm in diameter and has a flavour reminiscent of rock melon (honeydew). It is easily made into a delicious wine.
It grows easily from cuttings and in a year one plant can be divided into hundreds.