Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America

Gourd - Cucurbita, Lists 1-26 Combined

Edited by Deena Decker-Walters

Apple (Early Apple, Apple Squash) - Vendor: Hovey. Characteristics: fruit obtusely conical to spherical, less than 3" diameter, rind pale yellow to white. 1847.

Autumn Wings (Swan) - Vendor: Rupp Seeds. Characteristics: dipper shaped fruit with bowl measuring 2 1/2 - 3" in diameter and a narrow neck up to 8" long; rind multicolored, warted, and "winged" (ridged); 100 day maturity. 2000.

Ball, White - Vendor: Stokes. Characteristics: similar to Yellow Ball but with white rind. Similar: Yellow Ball. 1995.

Ball, Yellow - Vendor: Stokes. Characteristics: rind dull yellow. Similar: Apple. 1982.

Bell (Bishop's Mitre of 1866) - Characteristics: fruit bell shaped, 3.5" long x 3.5" diameter at widest point near blossom end, obscurely ridged, rind yellow flecked with green patches. Bailey's The Garden of Gourds, 1937.

Bell, Big - Characteristics: fruit shaped similar to Bell but larger, 4-6" long, surface smooth or somewhat warty, rind cream colored or green. Bailey, 1937.

Brazilian Sugar (Brazilian, Brazilian Sugar Gourd) - Vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: fruit oval, 5-6" long x 4-5" diameter, obscurely ribbed, warty, rind orange, flesh yellow. 1885.

Crown of Thorns (Finger, Holy Gourd, Sugar Bowl) - Characteristics: fruit spherical to oblong, about 5" diameter, with five pairs of finger-shaped protuberances extending from the ridges at the stem end freely out towards the blossom end, surface typically smooth but sometimes warty, rind white to yellow. Bailey, 1937.

Crown of Thorns, Shenot - Breeder: Agway. Vendor: Hollar. Parentage: selected from variant grown at Shenot Farms. Characteristics: similar to Crown of Thorns but rind is brightly multicolored; 90-100 day maturity. 1982.

Crown of Thorns, Striped - Vendor: Stokes. Characteristics: similar to Crown of Thorns but rind has green and white stripes. Similar: Crown of Thorns. 1985.

Der Wing - Vendor: Burpee. Characteristics: fruit oval, 5-6" long x 2.5-3" diameter, warty, rind white, flesh light yellow with greenish tinge; supposedly selected from Chinese germplasm. 1892.

Egg (Nest Egg, White Egg, Goose Egg) - Characteristics: fruit obovate, 2.5-3" long x 1.7-2.5" diameter at widest point near blossom end, rind typically all white but cultivars with green stripes may also be sold under this name. Burr's Field and Garden Vegetables of America, 1865.

Flat Striped (Broad Striped, White-striped Flat Fancy Gourd) - Vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: fruit short cylindrical, 1.5-2.5"long x 3-4" diameter, flattened to concave at ends, somewhat angular around circumference, rind dark green with lighter colored stripes or marbling, flesh bitter. 1885.

Ladle (Scoop) - Characteristics: fruit elongated pear shaped, 6-8" long, often warty, rind often bicolored as in Bicolor Pear. Bailey, 1937.

Miniature (Miniature Ball) - Vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: fruit oblate to nearly spherical, 1.5" long x 1.5-2" diameter, rind dark green variegated with pale green stripes. 1885.

Orange (Orange Ball, Mock Orange) - Characteristics: fruit spherical to oblong, 3-4" diameter to 5" long, surface smooth, rind orange. Burr, 1865.

Pear, Bicolor (Ringed Pear) - Vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: like Striped Pear but the stem end half is striped in shades of yellow and the blossom end in greens; Ringed Pear is a variant where the green portion forms only a rind instead of covering half the fruit. Similar: Striped Pear. 1885.

Pear, Striped - Vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: like White Pear but rind is dark green with lighter colored stripes. Similar: White Pear. 1885.

Pear, White - Vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: fruit pear shaped, 3-5" long, surface smooth, rind white. 1885.

Pineapple (Early Pineapple, White Pineapple, White Turban) - Vendor: Burpee. Characteristics: fruit 8" long x 8" diameter, spindle shaped with 5 pairs of prominent projections around the median, some inclined outwards and others towards the apex or base, rind white; supposedly selected from Chilean germplasm. 1884.

Spoon (Bicolor Spoon, Small Spoon) - Characteristics: similar to Bicolor Pear except that the stem-end neck is elongated and may be curved. Similar: Bicolor Pear. Bailey, 1937.

Warty (Orange Warted, Warty Hardhead, Warty Fancy Gourd) - Vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: Fruit oblate to spherical to short oblong, 3-4" diameter, covered with numerous round protuberances or warts, rind orange, green, or rarely white, sometimes striped. 1885.