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USDA Squash (Cucurbita) Collection
(Left) Bush version of the Cucurbita moschata Duchesne 'Troboncino', (Center) Cucurbita maxima Duchesne harvest, (Right) Cucurbita flower
Cucurbita are members of the Cucurbitaceae family. Taxonomically, there are 6 species associated with this genus (C. maxima, C. mixta, C. moschata, C. pepo, C. ficifolia and C. foetidissima). Cucurbita are annual crops and seed production is accomplished in one year. There are more than 830 different accessions of Cucurbita at the PGRU. We house 5 different species of cucurbita: and maxima Duchesne (pumpkin), maxima subsp. andreana (winter squash), maxima subsp. maxima (banana squash), pepo ver. moschata (butternut squash), and spp. (catch-all record for unidentified or unnamed plants of Cucurbita).
The PGRU Cucurbita collection spans almost 100 years of history, with our first accession collected from Beijing Shi, China in 1931 to our most recent addition in 2015 as a historic germplasm. Our collection has grown through the donation, collection, and development of Cucurbita germplasm. A majority of our collection is from Argentina, North Macedonia, Turkey, and the United States.
Looking for plant germplasm? Review our distribution policy for germplasm requests.
For more information on growing practices, head to the SQUASH production page.
Visit the SQUASH crop page in GRIN-Global to find citations, descriptor data, and genetic markers.
Read here to learn more about wild cucurbit distribution, conservation, and abiotic stress tolerance potential.
Contact joanne.labate@usda.gov for more information
Squash Production in the United States
Data from USDA NASS
PGRU Squash Accession Distribution 1988-2021
Data from GRIN-Global
