WILD FLOWERS 011
Ecballium elaterium
Squirting Cucumber · Faqqiegħ il-ħmar
Quiet in appearance, Charged with intent.
| Series | Wild Flowers of Malta |
| Encounter | 04 Nov 2025 · Triq il-Wiesgħa, Marsaskala, Malta |
| Created | 2025 |
| Medium | Digital painting |
| Dimensions | Adjustable |
About the Plant
Known in Malta as faqqus il-ħmir, the squirting cucumber is an indigenous plant commonly found beside rubble walls, country lanes and disturbed ground. When its hairy fruit ripens, it detaches explosively and shoots its seeds outward—a remarkable dispersal mechanism concealed behind an unassuming appearance.
* Botanical information referenced from Stephen Mifsud’s Online Flora of the Maltese Islands ( MaltaWildPlants.com ).
Available as a signed archival pigment print