PlantFiles: Zucchini, Courgette, Summer Squash
Cucurbita pepo 'Black Beauty'

By far, this is the largest fruit in my Squash Garden! The length at maturity(seed bearing size) can be as large as 3'!!! The plant is very immune to all problems of squash, usually the last to die in August. Taste is average.

Needs a bit more water here in the High Desert than when I grew it in Georgia years ago. But then everything takes more water here. Unlike some items in the vegetable garden, this one can take the "full desert sun" in the middle of summer. It just grows faster. You REALLY have to keep up with the picking, here.

Because we are so dry here, I did a germination experiment - the seeds that were watered once a day in the evening did not germinate (same soil, same sun exposure), but the ones that were watered twice a day - once in the evening and once in the late afternoon (both sets were watered with tepid water), sprouted in 4 days. From germination to first male flower was 32 days. First fruit at 40 days. (By the way, I found the twice a day watering for seed germination vital to all direct sown seeds here: sunflowers, squash, beans. Only the black eye peas seemed to germinated no matter what I did to them, even missing a few days of watering.)

I don't have a very sophisticated palet - tastes like fresh zucchini to me - nothing fancy - but tasty raw right from the vine.

Black Beauty did very well for me in humid 7b. Vigorous plant, heavy bearer, pick when small, good flavor. I did prefer the flavor of Seneca Zucchini, however.

I grew several of these plants last year and was impressed with the yield and vigour. They yielded from early till late. I got sick of picking it. Left on the vine it will get huge - in excess of three feet.

I cant really comment on the flavor - I did cook a few dishes with it. It tasted like zucchini...

Very prolific, if you like zucchini, you gotta like this one!

A 1957 black green open pollinated zucchini from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Storrs, Connecticut. An early and productive dark green zuccini which is similar to Burpees Improved Fordhook. It apparently is still available.