Dessert Watermelon

Citrullus lanatus

(Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai Species

Looking for an openly licensed photograph…

Botanical name: Citrullus lanatus
Also known as: Afghan-Melon, Bastard-Melon, Dessert Watermelon, Water Melon, Watermelon, Wild Watermelon
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Citrullus
Reference: World Flora Online

How to grow Dessert Watermelon

We have not written a growing guide for this species yet.

GardenDecoded's botanical data covers every accepted species, but growing advice is written by hand rather than imported — so it exists only for the plants we have worked through so far. The botanical detail above is complete and sourced.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Citrullus lanatus but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Anguria citrullus Citrullus afrorum Citrullus anguria Citrullus aquosus Citrullus battich Citrullus chodospermus Citrullus citrullus Citrullus citrullus Citrullus colocynthis var. capensis Citrullus colocynthis var. lanatus Citrullus edulis Citrullus edulis Citrullus lanatus f. nigroseminius Citrullus lanatus subsp. cordophanus Citrullus lanatus subsp. mucosospermus Citrullus lanatus var. afrorum Citrullus lanatus var. albidus Citrullus lanatus var. caffrorum Citrullus lanatus var. capensis Citrullus lanatus var. cordophanus Citrullus lanatus var. fistulosus Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus Citrullus lanatus var. minor Citrullus lanatus var. oblongus Citrullus lanatus var. pulcherrimus Citrullus lanatus var. pumilus Citrullus lanatus var. rotundus Citrullus lanatus var. senegalicus Citrullus lanatus var. shami Citrullus lanatus var. variegatus Citrullus lanatus var. virgatus Citrullus lanatus var. viridis Citrullus mucosospermus var. senegalicus Citrullus pasteca Citrullus vulgaris Citrullus vulgaris var. afrorum Citrullus vulgaris var. caffrorum Colocynthis amarissima Colocynthis amarissima Colocynthis citrullus Colocynthis citrullus Cucumis amarissimus Cucumis citrullus Cucumis citrullus var. jace Cucumis citrullus var. pasteca Cucumis dissectus Cucumis edulis Cucumis laciniosus Cucumis laciniosus Cucumis vulgaris Cucurbita afra Cucurbita anguria Cucurbita caffra Cucurbita citrullus Cucurbita gigantea Cucurbita pinnatifida Momordica lanata

Others in Citrullus

Citrullus amarus

Fodder-Melon

Citrullus ecirrhosus

Citrullus mucosospermus

Egusi Melon

Citrullus rehmii

Citrullus colocynthis

Wild Gourd

Citrullus naudinianus

GardenDecoded is an educational gardening reference. Botanical data comes from World Flora Online and GBIF; growing guidance is our own. Always check a plant's toxicity and local invasiveness status before planting, and never eat or apply a plant based on this site alone.