Scientific Name:
Cucurbita pepo
Pronunciation:
kew-KUR-bit-uh
Common Name:
summer squash, zucchini
Family Name:
Cucurbitaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (true), Vine or climber
Key ID Features:
Ground cover vine; leaves alternate, most blades ovate, 20-30cm x 15-25cm wide, base cordate, long bristly hairs, petioles 15-25cm long (lily-pad appearance to deeply lobed); flowers funnelform, yellow, 9-15cm wide (similar to C. maxima but smaller).
Habit:
Horizontal
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like, Irregular
Texture:
Very coarse
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
2 - 3m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Mexico, U.S. - southwest (North America)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 10: (-1 to 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Urban agriculture
Additional Info:
Google. Includes most of the ornamental "gourds".
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Lobed
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Prickly, Palmate venation
Surfaces:
Rugose, Pubescent
Shapes:
Deltoid, Orbicular, Ovate
Apices:
Obtuse
Bases:
Cordate
Margins:
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Yellow
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
male flowers may be clustered
Fruit Type:
Edible, Pepo
Fruit Colour:
White, Orange, Yellow, Green
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Not showy, Edible
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Additional Info:
trichomes
Organ Modifications:
Tendrils
Maintenance:
High
Pest Susceptibility:
Mildew, Mold, Rodents, Slugs or snails (Rabbit resistant)
