W inter squash is a warm-season annual vegetable vine that trails along the ground or climbs up structures using tendrils. It has yellow fruit-bearing flowers that are produced in the fall. The fruits have a mild flavor and can be fried, baked, added to pasta, used in soups, and more. Native to Central and South America, winter squash is an aggressive grower and prefers moderately moist soil with full access to sunlight. Winter squash is best suited for large landscapes, but performs well in vegetable gardens, on trellises, and as a cover for exposed soil. It is easily sown from seed, especially when soils are warm. Cucurbita argyrosperma should be transplanted in late spring, early summer, or after the last frost. Click here to see a calendar of planting schedules, time-to-harvest, and recommended spacing for your edible garden. Pests, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: Slugs, aphids, and beetles. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Cucurbita .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.