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

 
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Family: Cucurbitaceae (koo-ker-bih-TAY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Cucurbita (koo-KER-bih-ta) (Info)
Species: foetidissima (fet-uh-DISS-ih-muh) (Info)

3 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Vines and Climbers

Height:
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
36-48 in. (90-120 cm)
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)
6-8 ft. (1.8-2.4 m)
8-10 ft. (2.4-3 m)
10-12 ft. (3-3.6 m)

Spacing:
Unknown - Tell us

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Partial to Full Shade

Danger:
Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested

Bloom Color:
Gold (Yellow-Orange)

Bloom Time:
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall

Foliage:
Unknown - Tell us

Other details:
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping

Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline)

Propagation Methods:
From seed; direct sow after last frost

Seed Collecting:
Unblemished fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds
Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored

By mystic
Thumbnail #1 of Cucurbita foetidissima by mystic

By htop
Thumbnail #2 of Cucurbita foetidissima by htop

By htop
Thumbnail #3 of Cucurbita foetidissima by htop

By htop
Thumbnail #4 of Cucurbita foetidissima by htop

By cartoonasaurus
Thumbnail #5 of Cucurbita foetidissima by cartoonasaurus

By Jeff_Beck
Thumbnail #6 of Cucurbita foetidissima by Jeff_Beck

By Jeff_Beck
Thumbnail #7 of Cucurbita foetidissima by Jeff_Beck

There are a total of 14 photos.
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Profile:

2 positives
1 neutral
No negatives

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Neutral WUVIE On May 29, 2007, WUVIE from Hulbert, OK
(Zone 7a) wrote:

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.

Positive roadrunner On Aug 10, 2004, roadrunner from Hereford, AZ
(Zone 8a) wrote:

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

Positive htop On Oct 20, 2003, htop from San Antonio, TX
(Zone 8b) wrote:

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.

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Hereford, Arizona
Calabasas, California
Canoga Park, California
Elephant Butte, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Hulbert, Oklahoma
Bulverde, Texas
Kerrville, Texas
Odessa, Texas
Roby, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Winters, Texas



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