Why do cucumbers have spikes?

If you've never seen spines on cucumbers, then you may be asking “why did my cucumbers get prickly, and are spiny cucumbers normal? ... Why Do My Cucumbers Get Prickly? Cucumbers are ... Both varieties may have varying degrees of cucumber prickles – so prickly cucumbers is actually quite normal. read more

If you think cultivated cucumbers have spikes, check out their natural forebears: Echinocystis lobata (Wild Cucumber). Although the prickles are quite soft, they probably help protect the fruits from insects. A few related gourd species have bumps or spikes. Here is a great article on wild cucumbers. read more

Both varieties may have varying degrees of cucumber prickles – so prickly cucumbers is actually quite normal. Some might have tiny little hairs and others all out spines. The slicing varieties are usually less prickly while the pickling types are spinier. read more

Cucumbers in the produce section look smooth, but they also have spines (white), which were removed for your convenience in preparation for transport to the grocery store. Ad If you look at the jarred pickles, the"spine scars" are easy to see on the skin. read more