Volunteer Squash/Pumpkin

Cambria, CA(Zone 10a)

This showed up as a volunteer in the middle of yard this year. I let it have its way and this is what resulted. I was really hoping for a kabocha or another of my favorite winter squashes but in trying to identify which cucurbita it might be I came up with Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca as the closest match. It definitely has spiny stems. Anyone?

Thumbnail by stellapathic
Lumberton, TX(Zone 8b)

NO clue about varieties, but sure looks like a pumpkin to me. I had a volunteer pumpkin last year. Made pie. Yummmmm.

Augusta, GA(Zone 8a)

Volunteers are very often mongrels, C. pepo cross breeds readily. On the other hand it may be halloween pumpkin, from last year. Many growers will have a whole field of one cultivar and they will come relatively true even if they were hybrids.

Cambria, CA(Zone 10a)

This is good info, thanks. I'll probably cook it up and freeze it for the animals. I have the cats and the dog on a raw diet and when you switch from something like turkey to something rich like rabbit sometimes they have trouble digesting it at first. A tablespoon of pumpkin in the meal stops diarrhea and/or constipation. Funny, I have a pumpkin in an Earthbox that hasn't done a thing this year. Seem to be all male flowers so no fruit. So at least I'll have one pumpkin....funny how those things happen.

Chandler, AZ

Squampkin?

Seale, AL(Zone 8b)

Hahahahha. What a name.

Looks good whatever it is. Nice and healthy.

Cambria, CA(Zone 10a)

Funny that it turned out to be the only fruit on the vine. It is healthy though and turning into a very satisfying halloween pumpkin.

Thumbnail by stellapathic

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