Squash Family
Cucurbitaceae
The Squash Family is comprised of annual plants and all members have imperfect flowers. Members in this family are somewhat tricky to save seed from because the risk of cross pollination is extremely high. Bees and other pollinators LOVE the yellow blossoms and will carry pollen from all sorts of varieties for miles. You will need to avoid cross pollination either by distance or by hand pollination. When saving seeds from the Squash Family you will want to make sure that the fruits are almost overripe on the vine to ensure the seed is fully matured.
Seed Matters-Seed Saving Chart
Members Include:
*Remember that varieties within the same species are likely to cross-pollinate with one another and you must take proper precautions to isolate these if you or a neighbor are growing more than one variety within the same species.
Click on the orange words to find more information on how to plant and save seeds from these varieties.
The Squash Family is comprised of annual plants and all members have imperfect flowers. Members in this family are somewhat tricky to save seed from because the risk of cross pollination is extremely high. Bees and other pollinators LOVE the yellow blossoms and will carry pollen from all sorts of varieties for miles. You will need to avoid cross pollination either by distance or by hand pollination. When saving seeds from the Squash Family you will want to make sure that the fruits are almost overripe on the vine to ensure the seed is fully matured.
Seed Matters-Seed Saving Chart
Members Include:
- hispida–wax gourd (winter melon)
- lanatus–watermelon, citron
- anguria–West Indian gherkin (burr cucumber)
- melo–muskmelon, cantaloupe, honey dew, casaba, Armenian cucumber (snake melon), Asian pickiling melon, pocket melon (vine pomegranate), vine peach (mango melon)
- metuliferus–jelly melon (African horned cucumber)
- sativus–cucumbers (except Amernian cucumber, burr cucumber, and African horned cucumber)
- ficifolia–Malabar gourd (chilacayote)
- foetidissima–calabazilla
- maxima–squash (vars.-banana, buttercup, hubbard, turban)
- mixta–squash (vars.-green striped cushaw, white cushaw, wild Seroria squashes, silver seeded gourds)
- moschata–squash (vars.-butternut, cheese, golden cushaw)
- pepo–squash (vars.-acorn, crookneck, scallop, small striped and warted gourds, spaghetti, zucchini)
- pedata–caihua (achoecha)
- siceraria–hard shelled gourd
- acutangula–angled luffa
- aegyptiaca–smooth luffa
- balsamina–balsam apple
- charantia–balsam pear (bitter melon)
- edule–chayote (vegetable pear)
- odorifera–cassabanana
- anguina–serpent gourd
*Remember that varieties within the same species are likely to cross-pollinate with one another and you must take proper precautions to isolate these if you or a neighbor are growing more than one variety within the same species.
Click on the orange words to find more information on how to plant and save seeds from these varieties.
