![]() Many tribes native to Mexico believed pumpkin seeds are a source of exceptional energy and endurance. The Tohono O’Odham people ground the pumpkin seeds into flour and mixed them with cornmeal as part of flavorful, nutrient-dense breads. The skins of pumpkins were even used to create woven mats. As part of the traditional “three sisters” planting of corn, beans, and squash, Native Americans grew indigenous varieties of pumpkins and cooked them over an open fire as part of traditional cuisine. They have been cultivated since around 3500 BC. Archeological evidence shows that they are native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. Pumpkins are some of the oldest crops in the western hemisphere. One of the Oldest American Crops Winter squash, including pumpkins, have been around for thousands of years. ![]() Whether it’s a pie pumpkin, butternut squash, Jack-O-Lantern, delicata squash, kabocha squash, decorative white pumpkin, or hubbard squash, they’re all grown about the same! There are just a few different spacing quirks, which we’ll describe below. We’re going to use the terms winter squash and pumpkins interchangeably because a pumpkin is really just a type of winter squash. In conclusion, all you need to know is this: Technically all pumpkins are squash, but not all squash are pumpkins. Perhaps a better term would have been “storage squash,” but we can’t go changing the books now! Winter squash is only called “winter” because it is typically cured and stored for eating all winter long. ![]() The plants tend to have large sprawling vines, but there are some bush varieties. ![]() Winter squash has a denser texture, more flavor, and thick skins that allow it to be stored. These are typically bush plants with thin skins and mild flavor. Summer squash includes zucchini and yellow summer squash. To make things more confusing, both summer squash and winter squash are grown in the summer. Winter Squash Both types of squash are grown in the summer, despite their names. This includes everything from zucchini and summer squash to butternut squash, delicata squash, and pumpkins. Needless to say, squash comes in a huge range of shapes, sizes, and flavors! Summer Squash vs. The term “squash,” on the other hand, technically encompasses any of the fruits in the Cucurbita genus. “Pumpkin” is not a botanical term and is more of a common name for the recognizable big orange pumpkins used for pies and autumn decor. maxima: Buttercup, Hubbard Squash, Georgia Candy Roaster C. moschata: Crookneck, Butternuts, Long Island Cheese Pumpkin.pepo: Acorn Squash, Pattypan, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Straightneck, Gourds The names “pumpkin” and “winter squash” are often used interchangeably to describe the hundreds of varieties that have been cultivated from these species. Pumpkin is a generic name for many species of the Cucurbita genus, including C. ![]() What is the Difference Between a Squash and a Pumpkin? It is hard to say what the difference is between a pumpkin and a squash because they are really one and the same. Over thousands and thousands of years, humans selected and cultivated less bitter gourds, slowly breeding them into the large sweet pumpkins and winter squash we recognize today. Those wild gourds eventually switched to humans as their evolutionary partners. The plants used the giant elephant ancestors to spread their seeds and provide fertile manure patties for new plants to grow. Recent archaeological evidence shows that these ancient baseball-sized gourds evolved closely alongside mastodons and mammoths. They all stem from a wild bitter gourd ancestor in the Cucurbita genus. The word pumpkin comes from the Greek root “peopon” which means “large melon.” There are dozens of colors, flavors, shapes, sizes, and textures of pumpkins that have been bred for different uses. Pumpkins are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family along with winter squash, cucumbers, zucchini, gourds, and melons. With no fertilizer and very little water, we would still yield massive Jack-O-Lanterns by the time Halloween came around. I remember planting pumpkins in compacted patches of dirt along the alleyway of my childhood home. These warm-weather annual crops are remarkably resilient and fairly tolerant of poor soils. Whether carving them for Halloween, snacking on the seeds, or eating a scrumptious ice-cream-covered pie during the holidays, pumpkins have been a part of American culture for hundreds of years. Pumpkins elicit memories of childhood for many people. ![]()
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