In my climate they were a waste of effort and I’ve tried three years running. The fruit are smaller than a grape and sparsely borne. Presumably they do better in heat. Even if they cropped well in your climate you'd be harvesting for ages to fill a few pickle jars. They don’t taste of much. Just a tiny, wet, crunchy berry sort of sensation. A novelty rather than a viable vegetable. If you want to pickle cucumbers grow cucumbers.

Well as you said they like the heat, so they will presumably do well for most people south of the equator. I'm sorry they didn't do well for you, but your input is useful nonetheless.

Although I did not get many fruit, the size and flavour would be the same however heavy the crop. Compared with cucumbers they taste of nothing much. Adverts that call them ‘mini watermelons’ are misleading. Being the size of an olive the picking and prep for pickling would be a lot of work.

There are climates with hot summers both sides of the equator so I don’t think that’s important. I’m assuming you have hotter summers than me so I’m sure they’d grow better for you. Whether they're worth it would be my question. But no harm in trying them. They’re easily obtained here so I’d be surprised if seed wasn't available mail order in the USA from some reputable companies.

Melothria scabra is readily available in the USA. Baker Creek, Burpee, Parks, Johnny's etc vends it. It is best known as Mexican Sour Gherkin and has been around under that name for over a century. Cucamelon is a recent common name. Some times referred to as Mouse melon and several other names.. It is not a close relative of the cucumber and is more of a novelty than a a useful fruit. Easy to grow, but the little grape size fruits which can be pickled have limited uses.

There are many “bush“ varieties of actual cucumbers that are compact growing vines (2-3’ long) and can be grown in containers.

I’ve just been rereading the OP and realised it says ‘the plant itself is so small it can be grown almost anywhere.’ In reality, although the fruit are tiny and leaves are small, the vine itself takes up no less space than a regular cucumber. Even my pathetic specimens were 6 feet tell. A neighbour who tried them covered a tunnel 10 feet long and 5 feet high with them. Very leafy but still not very fruitful.

Baker Creek has seeds Mexican Sour Gherkin/ Cucamelon/ Mouse Melon

I've seen them locally in nurseries/ seed packets from Botantical Interests seeds Cucamelon

I've seen them sold as live plants from nurseries for $3-4. They can be direct seeded but transplanting them speeds them up. You don't need many plants, two plants can easily fill up a 6' x 6' trellis. It may die back some in the worst summer heat, but my keeps growing more vines.

Really, I don't eat more than 1-2 at a time, they are not addictive. They are sort of like big jelly beans, and they burst in your mouth. If you had a bunch, maybe you could pickle them.

Like floral says, the plants themselves are as big as any regular cucumber plant. There is nothing mini about them except for the fruit. And I agree with the others that they are a novelty, nothing more. I wouldn't plant them as a main crop. One or two plants is enough for a family to try out. I wasn't enthused with the flavor. They have a very slight lemony flavor but are otherwise uninteresting. If you want pickles then plant actual cucumbers.

The pickling cucumber variety called Miniature White has good production of tasty cukes on smaller plants. They are best while about finger

Rodney

My philosophy is that, if you have the space and the curiosity, and consider the warnings of others (thanks, floral_uk!), things might very well be worth a try.

Folks warned me about Easter Egg plant as being difficult, touchy, unattractive, and not particularly productive. It's been a staple ornamental eggplant in my garden for about ten years now because I find it amusing, fun, and productive enough to please me (for an ornamental, six per plant is fine). Plus a conversation piece in the correct locale, which is high enough to see the eggs, which tend to hide in the shrubbery.

So there are some for display and some in the garden just to develop seed. Those are in corners and edges where you don't see them much, but even so, I kind of like them. The leaves are a nice, deep, dark contrast to the surrounding bright flowers and the bright white-to-yellow eggs peek out occasionally.

If you're not kicking out a proven winner and can spare the space, give it a whirl. If you have the right environment, it looks like it might be fun. If not, so what? You just don't use it again in 2022.

If you are into novelties, the Jamaican Burr Gherkin (Cucumis anguria) which is closer kin to a cucumber is an option. These things pickled do look like pickled mice. Also been around for well over a hundred years.

@floral when I was talking about size I was referring to the width of the plant. Also I wasn't aware these plants were a novelty. I thought they actually had a good taste to them. There are numerous positive reviews for this plant on davesgarden so I'm confused why people are being so critical of it.

@Sah would you mind naming some of the compact varieties that you know of? Just curious.

I've grown cucamelon. It does take up the trellis space. But it's kind of the notion that cherry tomatoes are small plants because the fruits are small- and a lot of cherry tomato plants are huge!

If you already know you like eating the fruits, then go ahead and plant a few next year. You don't have to plant a ton of plants, but you can plant a few to see how you like growing them for yourself.

Trellising standard vining cucumbers does not need to take up much space- I've done a few plants in pots all the way up to a wall of the things in the garden one summer. If you trellis right, you can actually get more plants/grow out of a trellised cuke of a good variety than some of the bush varieties.

If you prefer raw cukes... what do you like? Standard ones from the store, seedless or english ones? Tender little Persians? Small ones, big ones.. round ones? Classic cucumber taste? Like the peel on and thus prefer a thin skin, or you peel them so that don't matter much?

I think the only way you are going to find an answer you’re happy with is to try it out in your garden. Your question was ‘would you grow ....?’ and people who have grown it have responded in good faith based on their experience. But that doesn’t mean that others might not have different experiences and different opinions. Only you can determine whether it’s for you.

I never said I wasn't happy with the responses. I said I was confused. On one site everyone is singing praises for this plant but here the feedback is very different. So now I'm not really sure whether or not I should try this plant.

^^ Singing praises in terms of what? Taste, plant habit, or growing success? Taste is very subjective --> if your primary focus is taste, you're just going to have to try it to see if you like it.

There are a lot of bush cukes from which to choose (there's actually one called Spacemaster LOL!). I grow standard, long-vine cukes so don't have a rec for you on that front.

Yes, the reviews are good on DavesGarden. It's reviews more specifically about that plant and it can be a fun plant to try out.

Your questioning here isn't just reading reviews. It is more interactive. Would some of us grow it? Sure, and some of us have. We are also including some other information about other varieties and such that aren't usually included in the review sites. You are getting mixed comparison responses.

If you have already tried the fruits and like them, go for it and try growing them.

Several of the bush varieties I’m familiar with are listed here:

https://www.burpee.com/vegetables/cucumbers/bush-cucumbers/

Mexican Sour Gherkins/Cucamelons are one of those things people either like or are indifferent to. Perhaps the members here on this forum have more traditional tastes and therefore are on the indifferent side. I don't think anyone mentioned that they hated them, just that they aren't worth making your main crop or planting in quantity. Especially if you have limited space but want enough production from the plants to make pickles. We've given our experiences growing them and have given alternatives based on your wants. Cucamelon plants will never produce anywhere near what a regular cucumber will. Grow a plant or two next year and see how you like them. Make your own conclusions as to whether or not you find them worth growing.

Rodney

Concur: It has been available since seed catalogs were introduced in the 19th century. Never had a mass following, but enough people grew it to maintain seed stock. There are lots of vegetables in this category. Chufa, Jamaican Burr Gherkin, Banana Melon, Queen Anne's Pocket Melon/Plumgranny , Vine Peach/Mango Melon, Garden Huckleberry are a few that I remember.. Never popular enough to inspire breeders to develop new varieties.