Herb. No. 198 · Cucurbitaceae
Mesoamerican pepo; Italian gardeners selected the slender green form.
Native · North America · Mexico & Central America
Native Also grownNow a garden plant worldwide
LegalGentleplant
Zucchini
Cucurbita pepo
Fruit & vegetableHarvestCompanions
The summer squash that becomes a club overnight — pick small, cook often, give the rest away.
Zucchini is an immature Cucurbita pepo, the same species as some pumpkins and ornamental gourds. Traditional Italian-American and Mediterranean kitchens treat the young fruit and the blossom as food. Culinary amounts are the path. A bitter squash is cucurbitacin — do not eat it. One hidden fruit under a leaf becomes a marrow.
Flavor
Mild, green, a little seed when large. Blossoms taste of the plant’s pollen and butter.
Parts used
Young fruit · Blossom
Helpful
- Absurdly productive
- Blossoms are a second crop
Cautions
- The hidden club
- Squash-vine borer
- Bitter fruit is not food