Winter Squash

(C. maxima) 90-100 days. A lovely little squash that was developed in 1953 by the U of NH; small, Hubbard-shaped fruit weighs around 6 lbs and has fine-grained, yellow-gold flesh that is sweet and of excellent quality. A great variety for marketing or small households. Semi-bush vines are easy to handle.

Rating:

74%

7 Reviews

Big Max Pumpkin
SQ123

Rating:

86%

16 Reviews

(C. maxima) 110 days. Huge pumpkins can grow well over 100 lbs! Nearly round, bright orange fruit is stunning and good for pies and canning. Very thick, orange flesh. Good for county fairs and displays.

Black Futsu Squash
SQ106

Rating:

93%

28 Reviews

(C. moschata) 105 days. A real favorite, thanks to its smooth texture and sweet, chestnut flavor. The handsome fruit is flattened, round and heavily ribbed. The black fruit will turn a rich chestnut color in storage. Small fruit on productive vines. A great squash from Japan.

Blue Hubbard Squash
SQ180

(C. maxima) 110 days. A spectacular storage squash, the famously long-lasting Hubbard squash arrived in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1854 in the holds of a ship from the West Indies. Seeds from the large green squash that originated in South America were shared with local seedsman J.H Gregory. A savvy breeder, Gregory selected the Hubbard’s skin to a more unique blue color and devoted his career to marketing the massive fruit. Gregory credited a Miss Hubbard as the person who originally gifted him the seed; he noted that she told him it was the best tasting squash she had ever tried and that she was given the seeds from a captain aboard a ship from the West Indies. A conflicting account from a local Marblehead woman stated that Miss Hubbard had bred the squash in her home garden from seeds originally brought on the ship from the West Indies. Either way, the colossal blue squash was naturally a great choice for a long sea journey as the thick skin makes for a longer shelf life. Blue Hubbard squash is known for keeping up to 6 months in the pantry. The fruit can weigh from 15-40 pounds each, making it a top choice for restaurants and family meals.

Rating:

98%

28 Reviews

Boston Marrow Squash
SQ221

(C. maxima) Lovely 15 lb fruit is hubbard-shaped and a brilliant red-orange in color. This variety was first documented back to 1831 by Fearing Burr, the author of Field & Garden Vegetables of America. This variety was first mentioned being grown by Mr. J.M. Ives of Salem, Mass. Mr. Ives had received seeds from a friend in Northampton, Mass, who had obtained his seeds from a friend in Buffalo, NY. This variety came to be grown in the Buffalo area after a tribe of Native Americans traveled through the area and distributed seed. From this historic introduction, Boston Marrow soon became one of the most important commercial squashes for 150 years. As the 21st century approached, nearly every seed company had dropped this unique treasure. In 1881 D.M. Ferry’s catalog said, “Very dry, fine-grained, and for sweetness and excellence, unsurpassed; a very popular variety in the Boston market”. It has rich, orange flesh that won it a place in Slow Foods’ “Ark of Taste” for having superior flavor and taste!

Rating:

94%

17 Reviews

Buen Gusto de Horno Squash
SQ278

(C. maxima) 115 days. Here’s a gorgeous and superbly flavorsome squash from Spain! The name, translated from Spanish, means “good-taste-of-the-oven,” and this elegant little squash is certainly that! The slightly flattened, ribbed and warted fruit reaches to about 12 inches across and weighs in at around 7 to 15 pounds. Colors run from deep green to pale sage, and the rinds are occasionally splashed in orange--outstanding in displays! The dense, firm, medium yellow-orange flesh is sweet and fine-grained, and definitely excellent for baking. Add excellent keeping quality, and you’ve got a real winner that everyone is sure to love!

Rating:

97%

7 Reviews

Buttercup Squash
SQ110

(C. Maxima) The satiny soft texture and unmistakable chestnut flavor of this turban squash is reminiscent of the famous ancient Japanese bred kabochas. In reality, this exceptional variety was bred at North Dakota State University in the 1920s as a replacement for sweet potatoes. Northern researchers found a chance cross between the Essex and Quality varieties and they named their happy accident Buttercup. The rugged plants thrived in the notoriously brief N.D. growing season. Early maturity and natural insect resistance were appreciated by researchers, and exhaustive taste tests were conducted. Selection resulted in dusty aquamarine-colored fruit of perfect family serving size with bright orange flesh, of exceptional mild sweet flavor and creamy texture. University of North Dakota researchers exclaimed “Each squash weighs 3- 3.5 pounds just enough to serve 5-6 people in one meal with no leftovers”. The nutritious starchy flesh made a perfect substitute for those northern growers yearning for the elusive semi-tropical sweet potatoes of the South. A shining example of pre-industrialized breeding, where flavor and texture are considered equally important as yield and vigor.

Rating:

97%

13 Reviews

Butternut Rogosa Violina "Gioia" Squash
SQ153

Rating:

94%

34 Reviews

(C. moschata) 100 days. An Italian Butternut-type squash, these have a violin shape and wrinkled tan skin. The flesh is deep orange and sweet, perfect for desserts, roasting, stuffing and baking. WONDERFUL!

Butternut-Orange Squash
SQ321

Rating:

100%

2 Reviews

(C. moschata) A delicious and beautiful butternut squash, highly prolific with an orange rind. Used in savory soups, sweet desserts, side dishes or cut into medallions and fried. Loaded with beta-carotene. 110 days.

Butternut-Waltham Squash
SQ112

Rating:

98%

26 Reviews

(C. moschata) 100 days. An old favorite. Good yields with excellent-tasting, rich, orange-colored flesh. Great baked!

Canada Crookneck Squash
SQ266

(C. moschata) 110 days. Old New England variety, preserved at Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts, where our foundation seed came from. Reportedly originated among the Iroquois Indians. Introduced 1834 by Boston seedsman Charles H. Hovey. This ancestor of today’s butternut was described in detail in Fearing Burr’s book of 1865. The bottle-shaped fruit reaches 2-4 lbs, having a curved neck and fine-grained, sweet flesh. Resistant to pests and diseases; a superlative keeper. Formerly quite common, it has become very difficult to find, and we are pleased to offer it.

Rating:

97%

7 Reviews

Candy Roaster - North Georgia Squash
SQ240

(C. maxima) Here is a smaller strain of Candy Roaster from northern Georgia. This type of squash is famous among the people of the Southeast. Pink, banana-shaped fruit has a blue tip and weighs around 10 lbs. Delicious, smooth orange flesh is perfect baked, fried and makes great pies; hard to find and quite beautiful.

Rating:

95%

40 Reviews

Connecticut Field Pumpkin
SQ129

Rating:

96%

11 Reviews

(C. pepo) 100 days. The heirloom pumpkin of the New England settlers and Native Americans, several hundred years old. Golden fruit weighs about 20 lbs each. This is a truly old variety; can be used for pies; the traditional American pumpkin.

Delicata Squash
SQ111

Rating:

95%

20 Reviews

(C. pepo) 100 days. High sugar content. Fruit is 1-3 lbs each, and skin color is rust-white with green stripes. Delicate sweet flavor. This old heirloom was introduced in 1894 by Peter Henderson and Co.

Dickinson Pumpkin
SQ281

(C. moschata) 100 days. A medium to large tan squash, weighing from 10-30 pounds or more. It is more or less oblong, tapering somewhat at the blossom end with slight flattened ribbing, firm skin and thick orange flesh. A long season variety that thrives in hot summers with warm nights and good moisture. The dry flesh is orange, sweet and of high quality. An excellent keeper that will store 5 months or longer. Grown by Elijah Dickinson, born in 1795, he brought the Dickinson pumpkin seeds to Eureka, Ill., from Kentucky in 1835. He didn’t know he was carrying with him the seeds of a million dollar pie pumpkin and one of the most valuable heirlooms in history. It is the backbone of the pie industry even today.

Rating:

96%

17 Reviews

Flat White Boer Pumpkin
SQ207

Attractive, very flat, pure white pumpkins that are unique and tasty. Very sweet orange flesh is perfect for pies and baking. A wonderful decorating and eating variety that was historically popular in South Africa and was named for the Dutch Boers, who were once the colonial power. We are glad to finally have seeds for this rare treasure. Fruit can grow to 30 lbs.

Rating:

96%

10 Reviews

Galeux D' Eysines Squash
SQ156

(C. maxima) 95-100 days. Possibly our most beautiful heirloom squash. This flattened, round, 10-15 lb fruit has gorgeous, salmon/peach-colored skin covered with large warts! The deep orange flesh is flavorful, smooth and sweet, making it good for baking. It’s also popular among the French for making soup. This is one of the tastiest squash I have tried, and we are delighted to offer this French heirloom.

Rating:

94%

35 Reviews

Gete Okosomin Squash
SQ317

$6.00

Rating:

87%

15 Reviews

(C. maxima) This is the squash that gained fame online and became known as the “800 year old squash” which, according to legend, seed was found in a “clay ball” at an historic site in Wisconsin. But other stories state that this squash was found in a cave by the Miami Nation. Whatever the story is, we know that squashes of this type have been grown by Native people in North America for hundreds of years and likely came from the Guatemala area, possibly over 1000 years ago. This fabulous Native American squash first came to our attention in 2015, at the 5th annual Heirloom Exposition in Santa Rosa, California. The magnificent fruit runs about 2-3 feet long and weighs up to 18 pounds. The color is a rich, bright orange, with lighter orange striping running the length of the banana-shaped fruit. The surface is mildly bumpy; the overall appearance is amazingly beautiful. Gete-Okosimin also proves to be delicious--sweet, with hints of melon, and possessing a wonderful smooth texture. We thank Roger Smith for bringing this squash to our attention.

Giant Show King
SQ177

$7.50

Rating:

0%

(Premium Seed) Break records and impress your garden pals with this mammoth squash developed by the king of giant pumpkins himself, Howard Dill. Massive green/grey fruit rivals “Dill’s Atlantic Giant” in size and weight. Show King is a record-breaking variety in giant squash competitions, and is excellent for novelty, as the behemoth fruit has a fantastic ghostly green color!

Green Striped Cushaw Squash
SQ163

Rating:

97%

23 Reviews

(C. mixta) 95 days. Big, white fruit with small green stripes; oblong with crooked necks and bulbous bottoms. The large vines are vigorous and are good for the South. A Native American squash that has an ancient history. Great for fall pumpkin sales.

Honey Boat Delicata Squash
SQ159

Rating:

82%

9 Reviews

(C. pepo) 105 days. One of the sweetest squash varieties in existence. Oblong, Delicata-shaped squash has tan skin with green stripes. Excellent quality and produces early. Developed by Dr. James Baggett, Oregon State University. So delicious and flavorful!

Hopi Pale Grey Squash
SQ202

(C. maxima) Here is a unique and colorful native Hopi Indian variety. The 10 lb round fruit has a very hard lovely pale gray rind, making this a great keeping variety. Orange flesh is both sweet and dry; large vines are quite vigorous. A Southwestern heirloom from the Hopi people that has nearly become extinct in recent years. A favorite for flavor!

Rating:

95%

11 Reviews

Illinois Squash
SQ252

AMAZING FLAVOR AND PRODUCTION! (C. mixta) 95 days. The legendary pumpkin of the South and famously favored by Abraham Lincoln’s family! Also known as White Crookneck Pumpkin, the custardy, dry flesh is outstanding in pies and other traditional squash recipes. The flavor is rich and buttery and subtly sweet but not overly saccharine, which makes it widely versatile. Many old timers prepare the flesh just like potatoes, which is how we like them, just sautéed with a bit of garlic and olive oil. Southerners consider it the standard for pumpkin pie. This big, white fruit is oblong with a few faint small, green stripes, a crooked neck and bulbous bottom. The large vines are vigorous and especially well suited to the south and central U.S. Popular in southern Illinois, often cultivated in cornfields. A Native American squash that has an ancient history. Our foundation seed came from collector Kevin McCarty, who writes that the variety was grown continuously on a particular Illinois farm from 1830 to 1980, the original seed having been provided by Abraham Lincoln’s parents! Indeed, according to historical record, Thomas Lincoln purchased seeds for Cushaw squash at the trading post in Lexington, Ky, took it home and grew it on his farm in Hodgenville, KY. When the Lincolns moved to Indiana and finally, Illinois, their beloved family heirloom Cushaw joined them. Grow this most delectable piece of American history!

Rating:

73%

3 Reviews

Iran Squash
SQ268

(C. maxima) One of the most unusual and beautiful squashes you will ever see! It took several years to get this variety into the catalog. Collected in 1940 in the northeastern Iranian city of Torbat-e-Heydarieh and preserved at the USDA seed bank ever since. Not known to the public until a few years ago, when our friend Glenn Drowns introduced it. This squash is super ornamental, with its unique, foam-green rind that’s mottled in soft peachy orange. Round and slightly ribbed fruit is medium to large in size. It keeps for a year or more, and is perfect for fall decorating.

Rating:

82%

9 Reviews

Jack Be Little Squash
SQ160

(C. pepo) 90 days. This tiny, cute pumpkin weighs just 8 ounces; flat and ribbed. These are highly popular and a top-selling fall crop. The flesh is good to eat, and the skin is bright orange. This type of squash may have been developed in the Orient, as pumpkins of this type are offered to the ‘Spirits’ by many in Thailand, where they come in 4 or 5 colors.

Rating:

95%

15 Reviews

Jarrahdale Pumpkin
SQ119

(C. maxima) 100 days. Slate, blue-grey, 6- to 10-lb pumpkins of superb quality. Their shape is flat, ribbed, and very decorative; also a good keeper. Popular in Australia, an excellent variety. One of the more tasty varieties for many savory dishes and is excellent for a year-round supply of squash, as these will often keep well over 12 months!

Rating:

94%

21 Reviews

Jumbo Pink Banana Squash
SQ138

Rating:

85%

24 Reviews

(C. maxima) 105 days. Large, pink, banana-shaped fruit can weigh over 40 lbs. This variety is over 100 years old. We have grown this squash for many years. Fine-flavored, dry, sweet, orange flesh that is superbly fine tasting, one of my favorites. Popular on the West Coast; large yields.

Kabocha Squash
SQ206

(C. maxima) A popular green-skinned Japanese squash that’s shaped like a buttercup, but without the “cup” on the bottom. Rich yellow-orange flesh is of excellent quality, being sweet, fine-textured and nutty tasting. Perfect for making delicious pumpkin curries, breads and baking. A leading type in much of Asia. One of the best eating squash of all time!

Rating:

88%

5 Reviews

Kakai Squash
SQ285

Kakai’s completely hull-less seeds are superb for roasting! Slightly oblate, delicately ribbed fruit is an unusual shade of yellow-orange, mottled here and there in dark green to virtually black. Simply scoop the seeds out of the 5- to 8-pound pumpkins, rinse, salt if desired, and roast in the oven until slightly browned. Semi-bush plants are compact and great for smaller gardens.

Rating:

76%

10 Reviews

Kogigu Winter Squash
SQ304

(C. moschata) Exquisite gem of traditional Japanese squash breeding! Fruit is oblate shaped, very deeply ribbed, with a rough texture and waxy bloom—the very picture of squash voluptuousness! Fruit starts out green, upon maturity mellowing to medium brown. The fruit weighs a very practical 1-2 lbs, ideal for smaller families. The dark orange flesh is sweet and fruity tasting, with a nutty flavor, and fine grained. Quality is very high. Keeping quality is excellent, too; fruit can be stored for up to 8 months!

Rating:

100%

4 Reviews

Lady Godiva Squash
SQ217

(C. pepo) 105 days. The popular naked-seeded pumpkin that produces seeds without the hard shell that develops on most pumpkin seeds. The seeds are ready to eat straight from the fruit, or better yet, roast with a little olive oil and sea salt and enjoy! High in nutrition and protein, they are nature’s perfect snack. The pumpkins themselves are quite attractive with yellow-orange rinds that are striped with green; perfect for decorations.

Rating:

80%

17 Reviews

Lakota Squash
SQ245

Rating:

83%

20 Reviews

(C. maxima) This colorful variety was grown by the Lakota Sioux. It is pear-shaped and flame-red with green streaks at the bottom. So attractive for fall decorations. The flesh is fine-grained and sweet with a great nutty taste. A wonderful squash that ranks among the most beautiful.

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
SQ128

Rating:

98%

24 Reviews

(C. moschata) 105 days. A longtime favorite on Long Island, very popular for pies. Flat, lightly-ribbed fruit looks like wheels of cheese, with buff-colored skin. A very good keeper, of excellent quality, 6-10 lbs each; a beautiful heirloom variety.

Makaronowa Warszawska Squash
SQ300

Rating:

56%

5 Reviews

Spaghetti squash with Bush Vines! (Cucurbita pepo) 100 days. New spaghetti squash sort from Poland. Plants are of a bush habit, and have lots of disease resistance. Pale-yellow fruit is the usual elongated oval shape, reaching 2-3 pounds each. Flesh is fine-grained and tasty.

Marina Di Chioggia Pumpkin
SQ133

(C. maxima) 95 days. The heirloom sea pumpkin of Chioggia, a fishing village on the coast of Italy, south of Venice. The large turban-shaped fruit is deep blue-green. It is one of the most beautiful and unique of all squash. A perfect variety for market gardeners. The rich, sweet flesh is a deep yellow-orange and of good quality, delicious baked or in pies. The fruit weighs about 10 lbs each and is produced on vigorous vines. Originally from South America, this warty winter squash made its way back to Spain and found its popularity in Italy. This dark orange and sweet fleshed fruit was introduced to Venice in the late 1600s and quickly became a beloved addition to the culinary culture. The network of lagoons south of Venice has been inhabited since the 5th century. Originally the people there fished and hunted small game, harvested sea salt, grew fruit and eventually vegetables. The region became a major source of vegetables for the Venetians once the salt marshes were drained and cultivated. Winter squash became a key staple for the winter months and especially for the poor who could not afford or access meat as readily. The rich, dense Marina di Chioggia, storing for up to six months, filled this winter food gap, and its incredible depth of flavor quickly spread throughout Italy and the world. This beauty of a squash is still served on the canals of Venice, grilled with olive oil by the bargemen and served as a whole wedge. A sweet and savory delight, for sure! Its meaty and sweet texture has also made this pumpkin popular as a filling for ravioli and for making gnocchi.

Rating:

99%

17 Reviews

Moranga Squash
SQ505

(C. maxima) 95 days. We are so excited to at last have seeds for the wonderful “Pink Pumpkin”. Very hard to find traditional squash from Brazil. Fruit is ribbed, light pink to salmon in color and weighs in at a modest 4-8 pounds. Traditionally used to make a dish called ‘Camarão na Moranga’ which means ‘shrimps in a squash’.

Rating:

90%

8 Reviews

Musquee de Maroc
SQ286

(C. moschata) 90 days. This variety was a big hit at the 2014 Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa, California, taking first prize. The stunning, round-to-bell-shaped fruit is Terracotta to buff-colored, and warted very attractively. You’ll want to use this one in centerpieces and displays before you consign it to the kitchen! An incredible variety from North Africa.

Rating:

78%

11 Reviews

Musquee De Provence Pumpkin
SQ152

(C. moschata) 120 days. These gorgeous, big, flat pumpkins are shaped like large wheels of cheese and are heavily lobed and ribbed. The skin is a beautiful, rich brown color when ripe. The flesh is deep orange, thick, and very fine flavored; fruit grows to 20 lbs each. This traditional variety from southern France is great for fall markets. Pure European seeds.

Rating:

94%

51 Reviews

New England Sugar Pie Pumpkin
SQ131

Rating:

90%

23 Reviews

(C. pepo) 100 days. The noted small sugar pumpkin of New England. The orange fruit weighs 4-5 lbs and has fine, sweet flesh that is superb for pies. Described by Fearing Burr in 1863.

Red Kuri Squash (Hokkaido)
SQ101

(C. maxima) 92 days. A red-orange Japanese winter squash, fruit is 5-8 lbs each and teardrop-shaped. The golden flesh is smooth, dry, sweet, and rich; a great yielding and keeping variety. This style squash has been traditionally farmed in the Kanazawa, Japan area. It is said that Saichiro Matsumoto of Kanazawa brought this squash back from Fukushima in northern Japan, in 1933. It is one of the Kaga (old name of Kanazawa) traditional vegetables.

Rating:

91%

33 Reviews

Rouge Vif D' Etampes Pumpkin
SQ118

(C. maxima) Rouge Vif D’Etampes pumpkin is a highly ornamental variety. Its stunning color and unique shape make it fit for a fairy tale. This classic heirloom was mentioned by famous French seed house, Vilmorin, as the most popular pumpkin in Parisian markets of the 1880s. The name translates to “Vivid red from Etampes” a nod to the medieval town just south of Paris where it was grown for market. W. Atlee Burpee was the first to introduce Rouge Vif D’Etampes to U.S. gardeners in 1883. The attractive shape and color make this a phenomenal decoration for autumn displays. More than just a pretty pumpkin, this variety is the standard for French soup stocks. The fruit can reach up to 20 pounds a piece and will store well, keeping nutritious squash on the menu all winter long.

Rating:

95%

36 Reviews

Scheherazade Squash
SQ303

(C. pepo) 105 days. Beautiful, warted, orange and green striped fruit weighing 5-10 pounds. This is a great choice for fall decorations. This was developed as an oil seed pumpkin, so the seeds can be pressed to yield a dark nutty oil perfect for salad dressings or as accents in squash soups. Also, the flesh is good to eat. You can bake it like spaghetti squash because it has a similar texture.

Rating:

85%

4 Reviews

Seminole Pumpkin
SQ215

(C. moschata) 120 days. The wild squash of the Everglades is a pumpkin with deep historic roots and rich sweet flavor. A beloved pumpkin of the deep South, especially celebrated in the Florida farming community for its unparalleled heat tolerance. This variety has varying shapes; each squash averages about 3-10 lbs and has tan skin. The sweet flesh is deep orange, dry and of good quality. The productive vines are resistant to insects and disease. An original squash variety of the Creek, Calusa and Miccosukee Native American tribes, it can now only be found wild in remote parts of the Everglades, or circulated among the gardening and seed saving communities of Florida.

Rating:

87%

38 Reviews

Shishigatani or Toonas Makino Pumpkin
SQ105

$5.00

Rating:

92%

12 Reviews

(C. moschata) This unique Japanese pumpkin was developed in the Bunka era of the Edo period (1804-1818). This is one of our rarest and most historic varieties! The fruit is uniquely shaped, like a bottle gourd, and is ribbed and very warty. It is dark green, turning to tan at full maturity. The fine-grained flesh has a delicious, nutty flavor. Traditionally believed to keep people from getting paralysis if eaten in the hottest part of summer. Shishigatani pumpkin is a famous vegetable in Kyoto cuisine. Very rare and hard to find even in its native Japan.

Somen Kabocha or Kinshi Squash
SQ141

(C. pepo) 85 days. We are excited to offer the true Japanese strain of this incredible squash introduced by Sakata Seed Company of Yokohama, Japan. It produces wheat-free, low-carb noodles in abundance on productive vines. According to some sources, Sakata Seed Co. developed an improved strain of a Chinese spaghetti-type squash. It is said that Burpee picked up this seed and began selling it as Vegetable Spaghetti in 1936. In Japan, spaghetti squash is most commonly called ‘Somen Kabocha’ or ‘Kinshi Uri.’ Somen means skinny noodles and Kinshi means golden thread, and it is very popular to eat the ‘noodles’ cold during the hot summer. The book Sosai Engei Zuhen (1951 by Jyouji Togashi & Suteki Shinohara) states that the spaghetti squash originated in China, some say in the 19th century. Sakata Seed Co. was founded in Yokohama in 1913, and there are records showing they were importing spaghetti squash to North America prior to 1921. Much of the paperwork before the war was lost in the Great Yokohama Air Raid, and there are no documents remaining to definitively answer where their squash originated. What we do know is that the Japanese have been growing this squash for over a hundred years, and people on both sides of the world have been enjoying it for at least that long!

Rating:

90%

2 Reviews

Sucrine Du Berry Squash
SQ171

(C. moschata) A famous old traditional variety from the heart of France. It has a sweet, musky fragrance and a delicious, sweet flesh that is used in jams, soups, and many French recipes. Small 3-5 lb. fruit is perfect for roasting and has deep orange flesh. Oblong, bell-shaped fruit is tannish-orange in color when mature. We are happy to introduce this flavorful variety to America.

Rating:

85%

13 Reviews

Sweet Dumpling Squash
SQ137

Rating:

88%

24 Reviews

(C. pepo) 90 days. One of the sweetest; 1lb fruit has white skin with green stripes. The sweet, tender, orange flesh makes this variety the favorite of many.

Out of stock

Sweet Meat Squash
SQ113

(C. maxima) 95 days. A delicious heirloom from Oregon; excellent-flavored deep orange flesh, very sweet. Fruit is large and flattened in shape. Skin color is a beautiful deep-sea-blue-green. Our family grew this one more than 35 years ago when we lived in Oregon. It was introduced by the old Gill Bros. Seed Co. of Portland in 1947.

Rating:

91%

16 Reviews

Table King Bush Acorn Squash
SQ295

85 days. (C. pepo) Here’s a bush version of the legendary Table King acorn squash. Sturdy, compact bush-habit plants really deliver the goods! Each plant yields loads of 2-pound, dark gray-green acorn fruit—as many as 8 per plant! The flesh is a soft orange, never stringy, and very flavorful. All America Selections winner for 1975, and still among the best around.

Rating:

100%

2 Reviews

Table Queen Acorn Squash
SQ126

Rating:

100%

7 Reviews

(C. pepo) 80 days. Dark green Acorn-type fruit. Iowa Seed Co. introduced this variety in 1913 and is possibly of Native American origin. The small fruit has sweet, orange flesh.

Tahitian Melon Squash
SQ282

(C. moschata) 110 days. This near-legendary butternut-type was one of the first rediscovered heirlooms that fueled the early heirloom movement. Fruit is large, to 40 lbs or more, though 12-20 pounds is more common. The orange flesh is richly fragrant, very sweet and delicious--so sweet the juice caramelizes when baked--one of the sweetest squash anywhere! Fine for use in pies, soups or desserts, and keeps for up to nine months. Has been known to produce as much as 100 pounds of squash per plant. The plants are rugged and huge. They grow over a wide range of conditions, even in the scorching-hot summers of the Southwest. Introduced by Thompson and Morgan in 1977 from seed grown by our friend Steve Spangler of Exotica Rare Fruit Nursery in Vista, California. Steve was among the earliest people to grow Tahitian Melon squash in this country from seed originally brought from the exotic Islands of Tahiti by a sailor in the 1960s. I remember these from the 1980s Gurney’s catalogs. It helped inspire my dream of exotic seeds and places, a love of cultures and their foods.

Rating:

89%

13 Reviews

Thai Kang Kob Pumpkin
SQ204

(C. moschata) A lovely sea green colored squash that turns chestnut color in storage; pumpkin-shaped, very ribbed and warted. Weighs about 6-8 lbs and a favorite here at Baker Creek; vines produced well and had good resistance to squash bugs and other pests. The orange flesh is richly flavored, sweet and fragrant; great for curries, soups, stir-fries and more. Andrew Kaiser brought back this great variety from Thailand in 2006. Good for fall displays and markets.

Rating:

78%

12 Reviews

Thai Rai Kaw Tok Pumpkin
SQ203

(C. moschata) Green 8-lb fruit has tan spots on the rind. Flesh is yellow-orange, sweet and flavorful with a smooth texture; a great eating variety that performs very well in our Missouri summers, and stands up well to pests and disease. Attractive for decoration and superb for the table; a rock-hard rind makes this a great keeper. A Thai market variety that is sure to become popular here.

Rating:

95%

12 Reviews

Tokyo Blue Squash
SQ139

$5.00

Rating:

80%

1 Review

(C. maxima) 120 days to maturity. Nicknamed aromatherapy chestnut pumpkin for its incredible sweetly scented flesh, this traditional variety was so popular in Tokyo that it is known throughout Japan simply as the Tokyo pumpkin. Originally introduced by a farmer in Tachikawa City, Tokyo, it became a popular market variety thanks to early maturity, attractive blue skin and an exceptionally fine grained, aromatic, bright yellow flesh. Seeds were first made available by Watanbe Seeds of the Miyagi Prefecture in 1931, and Tokyo markets were quickly filled with these signature scented squash. The virtues that made this an exemplary market variety of pre-WWII Japan, from early maturity to exceptional eating quality, are exactly what makes a fantastic farmers market variety in today’s slow food renaissance.

Vegetable Spaghetti Squash
SQ102

Rating:

96%

26 Reviews

(C. pepo) 85 days. This is an American strain of this popular Japanese squash, with stringy flesh that is used like spaghetti. Introduced to America before 1920. May have originated in China.

Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin
SQ167

(C. moschata) We are so happy to reintroduce this piece of American history. The beautiful fruit is very flat, ribbed and dark-green-to-tan in color. The golden flesh is dry and fine-grained. In the 1850s Japanese trade goods became available in the U.S., and plants were part of the cultural avalanche. One was the Yokohama squash, a superior winter squash that had evolved through centuries of painstaking selection by meticulous Japanese gardeners. In America, Yokohama was introduced by a wealthy New York City horticulturist, James Hogg. Hogg’s brother, Thomas Hogg Jr., was sent to Japan by President Lincoln as a diplomat in 1862. He also worked for Japanese customs and their government. He collected and brought back many Japanese plants to the U.S., and his brother James used them to build the Hogg nursery into one of the best sources for Asiatic and Japanese plants. Thomas spent most of his 10 years in Japan in Yokohama, and in 1863 James Hogg named the Yokohama squash. He claimed it was superior to the Hubbard types which were at the time the standard in American gardens. J.H. Gregory, as quoted in The Garden, an Illustrated Weekly Journal, London, 1873 wrote: “It is remarkably thick, making it the heaviest of all squashes in proportion to its size. The flesh is very fine grained, smooth to the taste, and has a flavor resembling the Canada Crookneck.” William Woys Weaver wrote in Mother Earth News “the ‘Yokohama’ possesses one of the most complex flavors I have run across in any squash or pumpkin I have grown. Everyone’s taste buds are different, but I detect hints of Asian pear, mango, avocado, lemon balsam, and if you have experience with tropical fruits, the unmistakable aroma of sapote. Can this be a squash?” In the late 1990s, I dreamed of this old variety after reading reviews of it in 19th century garden publications. But like many heirlooms, this variety appeared extinct in America. So I started a search for this Japanese heirloom and finally found seeds with Bruno Defay, who had been saving this old heirloom in his garden in France. I was so excited to bring this Japanese/American variety back to America around the year 2000. It had been gone from America for nearly 100 years! But thanks to a French seed saver, it was saved for future generations. In 2017 we had the pleasure of taking “Yokohama” seeds back to Japan! Local seed growers there could not remember this variety but were excited to hear the story and to have seeds hand delivered back to them after over 150 years of travel across the globe and near extinction. As I walked the quiet streets and hills of Yokohama, I could not help but think of squash fields and the story of how this squash came to America.

Rating:

96%

30 Reviews

(C. pepo) This beautiful pumpkin was introduced by Johnson & Stokes in 1893. Lovely 6-lb golden fruit has white netting and are perfect for pies. In fact, this is one of the best tasting pie pumpkins you can grow; with very sweet and smooth flesh, it’s a favorite of all who grow it.

Yokohama Squash
SQ108

$5.00

Rating:

86%

14 Reviews

Yuxi Jiang Bing Gua Squash
SQ308