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Cucurbita ficifolia
Also called Fig Leaved Gourd, Malabar Gourd, Blackseed Squash, Cidra, Fig Leaf Gourd, Sidra, Asian Pumpkin
Figleaf gourd is a vigorous annual vine in the squash genus, grown for edible seeds, fruit and greens, and widely used as a grafting rootstock for other cucurbits. Give it a long frost-free season, full sun and plenty of room to climb.
Cucurbita ficifolia is a species of squash, grown for its edible seeds, fruit, and greens native to the Americas. It has common names including black seed squash, chilacayote, cidra, fig-leaf gourd, and Malabar gourd. This species is grown widely from Argentina and Chile to Mexico. It is also cultivated in regions of the world including India, Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Angola.
No named agricultural cultivars have been recognized. Compared to other domesticated Cucurbita species, samples of C. ficifolia gathered throughout its range are relatively similar to one other in morphology and genetic composition. Variations do occur in fruit and seed color, some isozymes, and photoperiod sensitivity.
The fig-leaved gourd grows in temperate highlands at elevations up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). It is often used as a grafting rootstock for other less resistant cucurbits. C. ficifolia can be propagated through planting seeds and by layering. Nodes can grow roots, and can propagate new plants once cut. It is not resistant to severe frosts.
Japanese Pie Pumpkin · Coyote Melon · Coyote Gourd · Cucurbita cylindrata · Fingerleaf gourd · Ecuadorian Squash · Missouri gourd · Cucurbita galeottii · Bitter Pumpkin · Marten Gourd · Jarrahdale pumpkin · Winter squash
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cucurbita ficifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
