Why You Should Think Twice Before Using Wild Cucumber For Privacy

Wild cucumber kind of looks like the perfect garden multitasker, doesn't it? This unusual plant  –  also known as Echinocystis lobata  –  climbs like a professional and can cover fences and pergolas in a jiffy. When it blooms and fruits, it's just so charming and whimsical, with its prickly little bulbs hanging down. And, with a pergola being a stylish and affordable backyard upgrade, throwing some wild cucumber over one can almost feel like your Pinterest board has come to life. However, before you rush into planting some, you should know that wild cucumber grows fast. As in, very fast.

This is a plant that clings to trellises like nobody's business but if left unchecked, it can quickly smother other plants in its vicinity. If you want a wild looking magical wild cucumber privacy effect, you'll need to stay on top of it and not leave it to its own devices. To do that, always grow it over a structure and cut it back as often as possible, even pulling it by hand. Make sure to remove those prickly little seed pods after the growing season in the fall, so they don't burst, scatter seeds everywhere, and cause even more plants to grow.

If you were hoping to grow actual cucumbers, then wild cucumber isn't the plant for you. The fruiting pods aren't edible (they aren't lethal but still, don't try) and you would agree that they look much more like a medieval weapon than an ingredient for a salad. So if you are looking for edible cucumbers, stick to common varieties, and don't make the mistake of planting cucumbers in the wrong spot. Ideally, this will be somewhere sunny with well-draining soil and good air circulation.

If what you were looking for was a way to create some foliage privacy, and wild cucumber is a bit too unruly, then there are other options that won't try and take over your whole garden. Floral vines like trumpet honeysuckle or even a climbing rose could be a better choice to offer coverage whilst also bringing beautiful fragrance and food for pollinators. Or perhaps you want to skip growing vines altogether and simply build a bee-friendly border by starting a pollinator garden, which is a great way to create privacy and encourage beautiful blooms without a hostile takeover at the helm of some wild cucumber.

Wild cucumber certainly looks like a dreamy secret garden addition, that is undeniable, but before you plant it in your own yard, question whether you have the time and desire to keep it under control. Because left to its own devices, wild cucumber will really live up to its namesake: growing very wild indeed.