Summer squash explained

Summer squash can either refer to a squash plant with fruit that is harvested when immature, or the fruit itself. The word "summer" reflects their early harvest period and short storage life, in contrast to winter squashes. Some Cucurbita species and varieties are cultivated for both "summer" and "winter" fruit.

Cultivation

Summer squash often have a bushy growth habit, unlike the rambling vines of many winter squash varieties.^[1]

The varieties grown for use as summer squash vary by region and culture but include types from each of the five Cucurbita species generally acknowledged as domesticated.^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

The species Cucurbita pepo is thought to include the greatest diversity of summer squash varieties.

Summer squash varieties by species

Cucurbita argyrosperma

• Pipián or pipián fresco^[7]

Cucurbita ficifolia

Cucurbita maxima varieties:^[8]

• Zapallito cultivar group

Cucurbita moschata varieties:^[9]

• Aehobak
• Tromboncino or zucchetta

Cucurbita pepo varieties:

• Crookneck squash
  • Gem squash Kamokamo
• Pattypan squash
• Straightneck squash
• Zucchini (courgette) and marrow, respectively immature and mature fruits of the same variety

History

In the journals of Lewis and Clark, on October 12, 1804, Clark recorded that the Arikara tribe raised "great quantities of Corn Beens Simmins, &c."^[10] Clark also used the spelling simlin in his journal entries. Simlin, variously spelled (Thomas Jefferson's spelling) and italic=no|simnel were words for summer squash, particularly Cucurbita pepo pepo, common name pattypan squash. The word simnel was used because of the visual similarity between the squash and the simnel cake.^[11]

External links

• Squash page

Notes and References

1. Web site: Summer Squash . . September 15, 2013.
2. Web site: Zucchetta . Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center: Vegetable Research and Extension . . 10 May 2013.
3. Book: Prohens-Tomás . Jaime . Handbook of Plant Breeding - Vegetables I: Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodicaceae, and Cucurbitaceae . Nuez . Fernando . 2007-12-06 . Springer Science & Business Media . 978-0-387-30443-4 . en . 351.
4. López-Anido . Fernando Sebastián . 2021-07-31 . Cultivar-Groups in Cucurbita maxima Duchesne: Diversity and Possible Domestication Pathways . Diversity . en . 13 . 8 . 354 . 10.3390/d13080354 . 2021Diver..13..354L . free . 1424-2818.
5. Book: Neglected crops: 1492 from a different perspective . 1994 . Rome : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . 978-92-5-103217-6 . 64.
6. Book: Neglected crops: 1492 from a different perspective . 1994 . Rome : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . 978-92-5-103217-6 . 74.
7. Web site: Pipián WorldCrops . 2025-11-12 . worldcrops.org.
8. Massolo . Juan Facundo . Zarauza . Juan Manuel . Hasperué . Joaquín Héctor . Rodoni . Luis María . Vicente . Ariel Roberto . 2019 . Maturity at harvest and postharvest quality of summer squash . Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira . en . 54 . e00133 . 10.1590/S1678-3921.pab2019.v54.00133 . 0100-204X. free .
9. Hong. Kue Hyon . Om. Young Hyun . Ko. Kwan Dal . Heo. Yun Chan . Yoon. Jin Young . 1997 . Short Information (Characteristics of New Varieties Developed in 1997): A New Semi-bush Type "Aehobag" (Elongated Squash for Picking at Green Mature Stage) Lines, 'Wonye #401' and 'Wonye #402' . Korean Journal of Breeding Science . 29 . 4 . 509.
10. Web site: Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Online . 12 October 1804 . Lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu . 9 September 2023.
11. Encyclopedia: simnel, 2 . Whitney. William Dwight . 1889 . . New York . . 321 . 2013-09-04.