Which continent is the citron melon native to?

The citron melon is a relative of the watermelon. Native to arid landscapes of sub Saharan Africa, it has been a wild source of nutrition and hydration for humans for an extraordinarily long time.

Its fruit has a hard white flesh, rendering it less likely to be eaten raw in modern times; more often it is pickled or used to make fruit preserves, and is used for cattle feed. It is especially useful for fruit preserves, because it has a high pectin content.

The time and place of its first domestication is unknown, but it appears to have been grown in ancient Egypt at least four thousand years ago. It is grown as food in Africa, especially dry or desert regions, including South Africa. In some areas, it is even used as a source of water during dry seasons.

Today, it is not only found in Africa, but also domesticated elsewhere. It is known in the southern plains states of the United States as pine melon, as well as citron melon.

It has become an invasive species, growing wild, in western Mexico.