Cucurbita: Country Or Region Of Origin
North and South America
Plant Profile: Cucurbita
Taxonomy: CucurbitaNames
Gourd, Ornamental Gourd, Ornamental Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Squash, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, Zucchini
Phonetic Spelling:koo-KER-bih-ta
Genus:Cucurbita
Species:
Family:Cucurbitaceae
This extensive genus of plants is indigenous to both North and South America. It encompasses various cultivated vegetables, including summer and winter squash, pumpkins, and decorative gourds.
Tags
#tendrils
#trellises
#vines
#vegetable garden
#ornamentals
#edible fruits
#edible seeds
#vegetable
#palmate
#edible
#warm season vegetable
#ebh-vh
#ebh
#EBH-E
Similar Plants
Cucurbita Feature Summary
Attributes
North and South America
Annual
Tendrils
Fruit
A type of berry called a pepo that has a hard rind. Fruits may be long or round, large or small, smooth or warty. Some species and cultivars are edible and some are not; among the edible ones, both fruit and seeds are edible.
Berry
Green
Red/Burgundy
Gray/Silver
Gold/Yellow
Cream/Tan
Pink
Black
Blue
Variegated
Orange
White
Edible
Showy
Long-lasting
> 3 inches
> 3 inches
Flowers
Large yellow or white flowers with five petals. Most often monoecious, though some species are diecious.
White
Gold/Yellow
Solitary
Showy
Edible
Summer
4-5 petals/rays
Funnel
Star
3-6 inches
Leaves
Large, alternate leaves, sometimes reaching a foot in diameter. Palmate lobing and veining.
Green
Simple
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Alternate
Palmatifid
Peltate
Lobed
> 6 inches
> 6 inches
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
12 inches-3 feet
Stem
Green
Landscape
Edible Garden
Mass Planting
Small groups
Vertical Spaces
Cucurbita Image Gallery
Cucurbita Attributes
Cucurbita: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Cucurbita: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Cucurbita: Climbing Method
Clinging
Scrambler
Tendrils
Twining
Cucurbita Fruit
Cucurbita: Fruit Description
A type of berry called a pepo that has a hard rind. Fruits may be long or round, large or small, smooth or warty. Some species and cultivars are edible and some are not; among the edible ones, both fruit and seeds are edible.
Cucurbita: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Cucurbita: Fruit Color
Black
Blue
Cream/Tan
Gold/Yellow
Gray/Silver
Green
Orange
Pink
Red/Burgundy
Variegated
White
Cucurbita: Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Cucurbita: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Cucurbita: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Cucurbita: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Cucurbita Flowers
Cucurbita: Flower Description
Large yellow or white flowers with five petals. Most often monoecious, though some species are diecious.
Cucurbita: Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
White
Cucurbita: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Cucurbita: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Cucurbita: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cucurbita: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Cucurbita: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Cucurbita: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Cucurbita Leaves
Cucurbita: Leaf Description
Large, alternate leaves, sometimes reaching a foot in diameter. Palmate lobing and veining.
Cucurbita: Leaf Color
Green
Cucurbita: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Cucurbita: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Cucurbita: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Cucurbita: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Cucurbita: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Cucurbita: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Cucurbita: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Cucurbita Whole Plant Traits
Cucurbita: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Cucurbita: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Cucurbita: Appendage
Prickles
Spines
Tendrils
Thorns
Cucurbita Cultural Conditions
Cucurbita: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Cucurbita: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Cucurbita Stem
Cucurbita: Stem Color
Green
Cucurbita: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Cucurbita Landscape
Cucurbita: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Cucurbita: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Cucurbita: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
