Cucurbita pepo

Squash

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Other common names: قرع الكوسة (Arabic), ma-she (Chinanteco), 西葫芦 (Chinese simplified), 美國南瓜 (Chinese traditional), tykev obecná (Czech), sierpompoen (Dutch), pumpkin, zucchini (English) satokurpitsa (Finnish), courge pépon (French), feld-kürbis (German), calam (Huasteco), xusi-te (Huichol), zucchini (Italian), ウリカボチャ(Japanese), 율호박 (Korean), paprastasis agurotis (Lithuanian), ka (Maya), tsi'I (Mixe), ñinc (Mixteco), ayotli (Nahuatl), missa'bîgon (Ojibwe) mu (Otomí), dynia zwyczajna (Polish), chicsh (Popoluca), mogango (Portuguese), cus (Purépecha), arishi (Rarámuri), cayixam (Seri), calabaza, zapallo angola (Spanish), pumpa (Swedish), suschi (Tepehuano), Гарбуз звичайний (Ukrainian), gueto-bichi (Zapoteco)

IUCN Red List status: Least Concern

Plant description

Cucurbita pepo has a high number of varieties, so can vary in appearance. Generally, they are trailing vines that can grow across the ground or as climbers on a support. Leaves have between three to five lobes, are various shades of green, can have white veining and short sharp hairs. Fruits are widely varied, including large round pumpkins, longer thinner cucumber-like fruits, or wide flat lumpy fruits. Colours include orange, green, yellow and white, as well as mottled and striped.

Read the scientific profile for Cucurbita pepo

A collection of yellow squash fruit — Yellow squash (Cucurbita pepo), Forest & Kim Starr on Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0 us

Green and orange closed flowers from cucurbita pepo — Cucurbita pepo flowers, Antonio Jose Cespedes on Wikimedia Commons CC0

A green courgette, with large leaves and bright yellow flowers — Courgette (Cucurbita pepo) fruits, flowers and leaves, Steve Buissinne on Wikimedia Commons CC0

Large flat ridged pale green pattypan squashes — Pattypan squash (Cucurbita pepo), Daderot on Wikimedia Commons CC0

A pale orange pumpkin growing within large green leaves — Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo), Andrew McRobb © RBG Kew

Plant uses

Cultural

Carved pumpkins are a feature of Halloween celebrations across the globe, often called jack-o-lanterns.

Food and drink

Pumpkins are eaten as both a vegetable and a fruit, including in soups, curries and pies.

Pumpkin seeds can be processed to produce pumpkin seed oil, which is used in foods as a dressing, as well as taken as a supplement.

In Polish cuisine, pattypan squashes are pickled in sweet vinegar.

Courgettes are frequently used in French cuisine in dishes like ratatouille, as well as being turn into alternate pasta, called courgetti.

The flowers of Cucurbita pepo can be deep fried into fritters.

Materials and fuels

The leaves and vines are occasionally used as animal feed.

Did you know?

The scientific name ‘pepo’ refers to the fact the fruit, like pumpkins and courgettes, is a type of berry with a hard rind called a pepo.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest ever marrow weighed just over 116kg.

Where in the world?

A map of the world showing where pumpkin is native and introduced to

Native: Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest

Introduced: Alabama, Albania, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Arkansas, Assam, Azores, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil South, Burkina, California, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caroline Is., Cayman Is., China South-Central, China Southeast, Connecticut, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East Himalaya, Finland, France, Gambia, Gilbert Is., Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Illinois, India, Italy, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Korea, Louisiana, Marianas, Marshall Is., Massachusetts, Michigan, Nauru, Nevada, New Caledonia, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Nigeri

Habitat:

Most soil types, in full sun.