Carried by 2 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Cucurbita foetidissima (buffalo gourd, calabazilla, chilicote, coyote gourd, fetid gourd, Missouri gourd, stinking gourd, wild gourd, wild pumpkin) is a xerophytic tuberous plant found in the southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico. A member of the cucumber family, the fruit is consumed by humans and non-human animals both. The fruit can be eaten cooked like a squash when very young. As the fruit becomes fully mature, it is too bitter for humans to eat. At this stage, the fruit is used by natives for decorative purposes or in making musical instruments, particularly rattles. The seeds are the source of buffalo gourd oil. It grows fast (including a massive underground tuber) with little water, and some have proposed growing it for fuel or biofuel ethanol
Annual herb, Perennial herb
1 ft Tall
Spreading
Fast
Yellow, Orange
Summer
Groundcover
Full Sun
Very Low, Low
Moderate
Fast
Prefers dry sandy or coarse soil.
7*, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*
Sandy, gravelly places
Coastal Sage Scrub, Coastal Strand, Shadscale Scrub, Valley Grassland
Butterflies and moths supported
1 confirmed and 11 likely
Glorious Squash Vine Borer Moth
Melittia gloriosa
Ipsilon Dart
Agrotis ipsilon
Alfalfa Looper Moth
Autographa californica
Salt Marsh Moth
Estigmene acrea