October Plant of the Month: Cucurbita

Common Names: Pumpkin, Squash, Gourd

Origins: Cucurbita is a genus of plants in the gourd family, including pumpkins, courgettes, and varieties of squash. They are native to the Andes and Mesoamerica and came to Europe in the early sixteenth century.

Members of the Cucurbita family are diverse and can be very unusual. The record holder for the world’s largest fruit is a cucurbit, a pumpkin weighing over 2500 lbs in 2016.    

Planting and growing: Cucurbita are often easy to grow. They like full sun and plenty of water and should usually be planted in Spring.  

Cucurbits are usually monoecious or unisexual, having both male and female flowers on the same plant. They can pollinate themselves but they can also cross-pollinate over significant distances—so if you’re saving seeds be prepared for some hybrid plants and unique varieties of squash.

In rare cases cucurbits can become toxic so be careful growing ornamental varieties of squash (which have higher amounts of the toxin cucurbitacin) near to ones you can eat.

Nutritional and Medicinal Properties: Edible Cucurbita vegetables (or fruits because they have seeds) are nutrient-rich and low calorie. They can also be delicious—try these recipes this Autumn!

Cucurbita pepo, or field pumpkins, are packed with nutrients and can boost your immune system, work as an antioxidant, and help keep eyes healthy. Pumpkin seeds may be able to help you sleep better and regulate blood pressure amongst other things.

Cucurbita moschata, or butternut squash, is high in fibre, beta-carotene, vitamin C, zinc and sodium and can also be good for immunity, bone health, and digestion.

Cucurbits at the Forest of Hearts: We have been growing cucurbits this summer and autumn at the kitchen garden at Stratford-upon-Avon hospital.

We’ve had a huge yield of delicious courgettes and some giant marrows using the seeds in our Forest of Hearts Grow Your Own Veg Box, which you can buy here.

Members of our Green Therapy group have taken these home and cooked with them over summer. 

We’ve also been growing squash and pumpkins which we hope will be ready to harvest in time for Halloween. Because they need so much space, Mark (a member of our green therapy group) built frames using willow canes and string, so they could grow vertically.    

Seed saving: You can save and re-use the seeds from your Cucurbita. For a pumpkin, wash the seeds in a colander and leave to dry. Larger seeds will have better chance of germinating. Store them in a cool, dry place.