PlantFiles: Winter Squash, Cushaw Pumpkin
Cucurbita mixta 'Tennessee Sweet Potato'

I have not grown this squash yet. My neighbor gave me a cream-colored squash a week ago, that her grand kids used for a Halloween pumpkin. It looks quite similar to the one Dave has on his head. I took pictures and then opened it to find lots of big, fat, gold-edged seeds. Is this the same squash that I found here? I don't know what the original color was, for this squash has been sitting around for 6 months. My gray/blue Australian squash started to turn gold in that same time period, so I don't know the original, mature color. What is this? I can send a picture if someone would like to see it.

GM

First listed in 1847 by New York seedsman Grant Thorburn as 'Green Striped Bell' and most likely renamed by Burpee in 1883 as 'Tennessee Sweet Potato'. Poor eating qualities, 10-20 lb fruits are best for extrememly long-lasting decorations. Does well in cooler weather. 95-100 days.

I have not grown Tennessee Sweet Potato, but since it is C. mixta, it should be resistant to squash vine borer which kills all the C. pepo and C, maxima squash and pumpkin cultivars I try to grow. I had been planning to try Tennessee Sweet Potato', but SSE recommends it only for fall decorations, Therefore I will try 'Neck Pumpkin', 'Ultra' Butternut, or 'Kentucky Field' pumpkin which are all C. moschata.
I had been growing wagon loads ( a few tons) of pumpkins since 1940 with my Father, but since 2000 vine borers have killed every plant. It turns out that all the cultivars I planted since 1999 were C. pepo. I guess the pumpkins we grew from Dad's original seeds were C. moschata as they looked like what is now sold as 'Kentucky Field Pumpkin' Harold Eddleman 47164

This is a pear shaped pumpkin similar to the Green Striped Cushaw but without the neck. A very old variety listed in Burpee's 1888 catalog. I haven't been able to find it listed since the 60's. Grows well, tho not as prolific as the other cushaws.