PlantFiles: Buffalo Gourd, Wild Gourd, Missouri Gourd, Calabazilla
Cucurbita foetidissima

I found this gourd in the Gila wilderness in south west N.M almost 10 years ago.I planted the seeds in my garden here in New Jersey i have been growing organic veggies for the past 18 years so it seems odd that this plant has assumed a perennial status in my zone 5 garden for the past 9 seasons it comes back from a burdock looking root(or like a carrot)white flesh that seems to handle our winters and sprout after the garden is turned in the spring.The only thing i found about it is the indians used it as a way to ween children from mothers milk.This seemed true since although it looks like spagetti squash it is so bitter it left the tast in my mouth for a long time.

I have this plant growing wild in may fields. I use them during the holidays sitting along side my pumkins and other decorative gourds and decorations. Does anyone have information on drying and painting them?

Trish

Could there be an error in the listing?

The sun exposure is set to shade. Having
lived in New Mexico for many years, I don't
quite recall much shade, but do remember
plenty of gourds in the full sun.

Native Americans also used the crushed gourds to put around other plants to deter insects.

San Antonio, Tx.
In my area we call this plant just "wild gourd". It can be found from Mexico to Missouri and Nebraska. The flowers are monoecious, that is, individual flowers are either male or female with both sexes being found on the same plant. The plant is self-fertile. When the seeds are spouting, a toxic substance is produced by their embryos and there are reports that the root is poisonous. It produces small round gourds that are green with vertical off white stripes. When the fruit is ripe, it turns a yellowish color.

Many native North American tribes used and still use wild gourd as a medicine. The mashed plant has been used as a poultice to treat skin sores and ulcers and the stems and leaves have been employed as a laxative. To remove stains from clothing, the fruit is sliced and simmered in water to obtain a soap substitute. The dried gourds having a thick, tough skin were used as rattles and carved to make spoons and ladles.