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Okeechobee gourd

Cucurbita okeechobeensis

Okeechobee gourd
Photo: Marc Minno, Public domain

Okeechobee gourd is a rare, endangered wild gourd species, native to Florida around Lake Okeechobee and to Veracruz, Mexico, and is rarely grown in gardens. It is an annual climbing vine, so it needs a warm, frost-free season and something to climb on.

Family
Cucurbitaceae (Gourd family)
Grows as
Annual
Light
Full sun
Water
Water regularly during dry spells, keeping soil moist but not waterlogged.
Soil
Well-drained, fertile soil with plenty of organic matter.
Temperature
Warm conditions, roughly 18–32 °C; protect from frost.
How easy
Moderate
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
S. Florida, Hispaniola, Mexico
Climate
subtropical

About

Cucurbita okeechobeensis, the Okeechobee gourd, is a species of gourd belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, native to Mexico and the United States. There are two subspecies; one is endemic to Florida, primarily in the region around Lake Okeechobee, the other to the State of Veracruz in eastern Mexico. Once abundant, it has state and federal listing as an endangered species.

One of its peculiarities is the yellow corolla not so common in other Cucurbita species.

Where it grows

It was often found growing on abandoned alligator nests in pond apple (Annona glabra) groves near Lake Okeechobee.

Other Cucurbita plants

Japanese Pie Pumpkin · Coyote Melon · Coyote Gourd · Cucurbita cylindrata · Fingerleaf gourd · Ecuadorian Squash · Figleaf gourd · Missouri gourd · Cucurbita galeottii · Bitter Pumpkin · Marten Gourd · Jarrahdale pumpkin

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cucurbita okeechobeensis 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.

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