ten
FACTS ON
SQUASH
1 All squash are currently considered members of the genus Cucurbita
in the family Cucurbitaceae.
by Philip McIntosh 2 Squash in all their colors,
shapes, sizes, and flavors,
appear early in the
agricultural record. Cucurbita pepo is the most well-known squash with several
recognizable varieties including pumpkin (C. pepo var. pepo), summer
squash (C. pepo var. longa), crook necked squash (C. pepo var. torticollia),
zucchini (C. pepo var. cylindrica), and acorn squash (C. pepo var. turbinata).
3 There are more than a dozen species in the genus Cucurbita,
4 Some well-known squash relatives, also in the Cucurbitaceae,
5 Squash can perhaps be considered the first of the Three
Sisters of Mesoamerican agriculture, cultivated as far back
as 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, before either maize or beans.
6 We know this from the analysis of ancient seeds, fruit rinds, and other
plant remains found in a cave in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico.
7 One way to practically classify the different kinds of squash from a
8 Since all squash generally grow during the summer and are not cold
9 Summer squash such as zucchini and the yellow varieties ripen earlier and
should generally be eaten soon after harvest, while winter varieties like acorn
squash and pumpkins grow later into the summer and can be stored longer.
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Maximum Yield
but only five or so are cultivated for food.
are the gourds, watermelon, cucumbers, and luffa.
growing perspective is by dividing them into summer and winter varieties.
tolerant, the terms “summer squash” and “winter squash” are kind of
misnomers. It has more to do with when the fruit ripens and how well they store.
The fruit and seeds are not the only edible parts of a squash plant;
the flowers can be eaten in a variety of ways.