Buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) Flower, Leaf, Care, Uses

About

More Info

Weed Control

Distribution

Care FAQ

Related Plants

Home > Plant Encyclopedia > Buffalo gourd

Add to My Garden

Buffalo gourd

Cucurbita foetidissima

Also known as: Calabazilla, Coyote gourd, Prairie gourd, Stink gourd

Buffalo gourd (*Cucurbita foetidissima*) is a perennial plant that grows best in semiarid regions and deserts. It produces oil and may someday be commercially leveraged for biofuel production. The pumpkin portion of the gourd contains many carbohydrates.

9 to 11

Hardiness Zones

Spring, Summer

Planting Time

More Info

Flower Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Summer

Leaf Color

Green

Gray

Symbolism

Protection

Usages

Garden Use

While not commonly cultivated, buffalo gourd is occasionally grown in vegetable and some flower gardens. It is used to provide garden interest in the spring and summer. The long, trailing vine produces large, bright-colored flowers in the spring that form uniquely shaped summer fruits. The fruits have a foul odor, but their interesting appearance makes them popular as ornamental gourds.

Scientific Classification

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Dicotyledons

Order

Cucurbitales

Family

Gourd

Genus

Squashes

Species

Buffalo gourd

Find your perfect green friends.

Plan your green oasis based on your criteria: plant type, pet safety, skill level, sites, and more.

Weed Control

Weeds

Buffalo gourd is native to North America and Mexico. This plant roots in dry soils throughout USDA zones 9 to 11, and it often sprouts in plains and deserts. While buffalo gourd has not been deemed an invasive species, it may be an unwanted resident in many gardens throughout its native range. Its fruit emits a foul smell that many find off-putting; furthermore, the mature fruit is poisonous to humans and should not be consumed. If necessary, buffalo gourd can be cut and treated with chemical herbicide to discourage growth. Proper disposal should be done to ensure that the seeds do not proliferate.

How to Control it

Once weeds are flowering and firm, it is difficult to effectively control them, so the best time for weeds to be removed is before flowering and firming; once flowering and firming, the seeds will spread very quickly and need to be removed frequently, and prevention should be made in the next year. Pull out: Before weeds are strong, wear gloves or use tools to dig out weeds. If the soil is difficult to remove due to drought, it can be used to thoroughly remove the roots of weeds after being irrigated with water. After removal, it can be used in conjunction with deep cultivation to prevent weed roots from remaining. This method is particularly suitable for weeds at the seedling stage or with a relatively low size. Pruning: Pruning before weeds can effectively control the spread of weeds, especially for annual weeds. Frequent pruning can suppress the growth and fruiting of weeds, which can effectively remove weeds that year. Tilling: Tilling the soil before cultivation, picking up and discarding the perennial weed roots, discarding, exposing or burying deeply, it can also be used to make organic fertilizer and compost with weeds. Chemical control: The weeds can be effectively removed by competing herbicides. Note: When removing weeds, you need to wear gloves to avoid direct contact between the body and the weeds, especially for some toxic, thorny, sensitive mucous weeds. When cleaning weeds during flowering, you need to wear a special mask to prevent allergies caused by inhaling pollen.

Do you have weeds in your garden?

Differentiate them from your plants by a picture, and learn how to control them.

Distribution Map

Habitat

Hills, sandsage prairies, grasslands, mesquite scrub, pinyon-juniper, floodplain woods, vacant lots, roadsides, railroad banks

Native

Cultivated

Invasive

Potentially invasive

Exotic

No species reported

Questions About Buffalo gourd

Watering

Sunlight

Temperature

What is the best way to water my Buffalo gourd?

Not only does the Buffalo gourd have certain preferences regarding how much water it receives, but it also cares deeply about how you provide that water. In fact, if you don't use the proper watering technique, you risk harming your tomatoes. The best way to water Buffalo gourd is to apply the water directly to the soil in a slow and gentle manner. You should not pour all of the water into the soil at once, and you should not do overhead watering for your Buffalo gourd. Although you should water slowly, you should also water deeply to ensure that all of the soil in which your Buffalo gourd grows is sufficiently moist.

What should I do if I water my Buffalo gourd too much or too little?

If you find that you have overwatered your Buffalo gourd and you are concerned about the associated risk of disease, you should intervene immediately. Often the best approach for an overwatered Buffalo gourd is to uproot it from its current growing location. Once the plant is out of the ground, you can allow its roots to dry a bit before planting it in a new growing location. Ensure that the new growing location has soil with good drainage. If you grow in pots, you may also want to move your plant to a pot with more or larger drainage holes. In the case of underwatering, all you will need to do is increase the frequency with which you supply water to your plant.

How often should I water my Buffalo gourd?

Overall, Buffalo gourd requires a significant amount of water throughout the growing season. To meet that high water need, you'll need to water early and often throughout the spring and summer. During the earlier parts of the growing season, you should water your Buffalo gourd about once or twice per week. As the season progresses, you should increase your watering frequency. You may need to water it twice per day or more during summer, depending on the weather. After your Buffalo gourd have gone through their major seasonal growth phases, you can reduce the frequency of your watering to about once per week until the end of the growing season.

How much water does my Buffalo gourd need?

Since Buffalo gourd are incredibly popular, with many professional and amateur gardeners growing them successfully, we have a pretty clear idea of how to care for these plants. That understanding includes specific knowledge about the precise volume of water an average Buffalo gourd should receive. Generally, Buffalo gourd will require about 1 - 1.5 inches of water per week. That volume should be dispersed evenly through your weekly watering. As the weather gets warmer, you may need to supply more water, but in most cases, two inches per week is a good baseline amount.

How can I tell if i'm watering my Buffalo gourd enough?

Underwatering and overwatering can both occur as problems for your Buffalo gourd, and both these problems can manifest with similar symptoms. For example, foliage discoloration and wilting can both result from either overwatering or underwatering. When your Buffalo gourd is underwatered, its leaves will be curling and drooping at the beginning. You will see a bunch of leaves turn less vigorous. Underwatering is also likely to cause stunted growth and poor overall development as both the flowers and this plant require a high amount of water. Overwatering is more likely to lead to disease, including rot. Overwatering may also lead to unpleasant smells rising from your plant's soil. The symptoms of underwatering will show up quicker than overwatering. Overwatering can also be evident in soil conditions. Mainly, if you notice a lot of standing water or waterlogged soils, overwatering is likely to occur.

How should I water my Buffalo gourd through the seasons?

As alluded to above, your Buffalo gourd's water needs will repeatedly change throughout the seasons. During most of spring and summer, you should water your Buffalo gourd about once every week. As the heat of summer arrives, you should plan to increase your watering frequency to once or twice per day. In the late summer and fall, towards the end of the harvest period, you can reduce your watering frequency to about once per week. After harvest has ended, you can cease watering as your Buffalo gourd has reached the end of its life cycle and will require no further soil moisture.

The maintenance schedule of Buffalo gourd will require you to alter the amount of water you provide depending on the plant's current growth stage. Early on, especially if you grow your Buffalo gourd from seeds, you'll need to provide water often enough to maintain consistent soil moisture, which encourages root development. When the plant becomes old enough to produce flowers, it will likely need even more water. During the fruit development growth stage, your Buffalo gourd will likely need the most water out of any growth period, at times requiring water more than twice per day. Following that phase, the water needs of Buffalo gourd will decline significantly.

What's the difference between watering Buffalo gourd indoors and outdoors?

Whether you grow Buffalo gourd indoors or outdoors can also play a role in how you water them. Buffalo gourd that grows outdoors may receive water from natural rainfall, which will reduce the amount of supplemental water you should supply. However, it is incredibly rare for rainfall to adequately replace your watering entirely. Plants that grow indoors, along with any Buffalo gourd that grows in a container, will need to be watered more frequently than those that grow in the ground outdoors. If you choose this route, please make sure that the plant gets enough water by checking the soil moisture within your pot often to keep your Buffalo gourd healthy.

How much sunlight does Buffalo gourd need to grow?

Exact needs vary, but a minimum of 6 to 8 hours per day is a good rule of thumb for Buffalo gourd to grow and produce fruit.

What type of sunlight does Buffalo gourd need?

Buffalo gourd requires full sun, meaning that it should be grown in a location that gets direct sunlight that isn’t blocked by obstacles such as trees, fences, or buildings. In general, the faster the plant grows, the more hours of sunlight it will need. Morning sun is best for photosynthesis.

Should I protect Buffalo gourd from sun exposure?

Buffalo gourd should not need to be protected from the sun in most climates. Those who live in a desert or near the equator may find that the sun is too harsh for the types of plants they want to grow, but this is the exception.

What will happen if Buffalo gourd doesn't get enough sunlight?

All plants need sunlight to convert into energy. Plants that have a short growing season need even more light and energy than those that grow slowly, as they need to complete all their processes to grow and produce fruit within just a few months.

The first symptoms of insufficient sunlight in Buffalo gourd are pale and yellow leaves that are not able to generate enough chlorophyll to keep their healthy green color. The leaves may eventually fall off, and new growth is small and weak. The plant may become leggy and sparse as it stretches toward the available light.

Finally, without enough light the plant will not be able to produce large, high-quality edible leaves or fruit. Buffalo gourd needs to devote a lot of energy into growing leaves and fruits, so if there isn’t enough light available for it to convert, the harvest will suffer.

What will happen if Buffalo gourd gets too much sunlight?

Buffalo gourd can get sunburned from intense sunlight, especially when coupled with high temperatures and not having enough water. Afternoon sun tends to be most likely to burn plants. Scalded leaves develop faded patches of light brown to white on the areas at the top of the plant that are exposed to the most sun. They are especially vulnerable to this right after being transplanted from a shadier location to being in full sun. Transitioning plants gradually or providing them with a barrier while they are adjusting can help prevent sunscald in young plants.

In many cases, Buffalo gourd develops leaves that are large enough to protect fruits from the strongest rays of the sun. However, if intense sunlight is in contact with fruits, they can also be damaged. Avoid over-pruning those protective leaves so that the fruits don’t get burned.

Are there any cautions or tips for sunlight and Buffalo gourd?

Buffalo gourd may become unbalanced if it gets significantly more light on one side than the other. Ideally, you can plant your Buffalo gourd in a location away from obstacles that might block light, and where the distribution of sunlight is even on all sides.

Be careful about planting tall species next to those that grow closer to the ground. It may not be obvious when the crops are first planted, but over time the taller plants may begin to block the amount of sunlight that can reach the shorter plants.

Morning sun helps to dry dew and precipitation, which helps prevent infection from diseases that can develop when water sits on the plant. If you are watering or irrigating your Buffalo gourd, this should be done in the morning.

What is the optimal temperature for Buffalo gourd?

There is an ideal temperature range that makes Buffalo gourd feel at home. Under these temperature conditions, it's unlikely that you’ll have any issues with cold or hot damage to the foliage, but changing leaf colors can absolutely be a sign that Buffalo gourd isn’t happy. Try to keep your Buffalo gourd well within its preferred range of 70-85℉(21-30℃), but don’t panic if the temperature creeps up past 85℉(30℃) during the day or down to 70℉(21℃) at night.

How can I protect Buffalo gourd from extreme temperatures outdoors?

If your Buffalo gourd happens to be planted outside, then there’s not much you can do to try to move it indoors. However, you can certainly provide cover in ways that will help it survive any extreme temperatures that may arise unexpectedly. For instance, you can always use a few stakes and some cloth to put together a shade tent that will block out much of the sun’s intense heat from direct sunlight exposure.

Similarly, Buffalo gourd can be protected from the extreme cold and especially chilly winds by building a small greenhouse around the plant, which will create a greenhouse effect and warm the plant up. This can be done using garden stakes and any sort of clear or translucent plastic you may have around; if you have greenhouse plastic such as polycarbonate laying around, this works perfectly. Remove the greenhouse once temperatures warm up to 40℉(10℃) at night.

Does Buffalo gourd need different temperatures in different seasons?

Generally speaking, Buffalo gourd needs to stay within its preferred temperature range all year long. However, that doesn’t mean that care should stay the same all year long. During the warmest months of the year, Buffalo gourd will need a little extra shade and a bit more of a breeze to help it cope with the hottest days. On the other hand, it may need to be moved away from chilly windows and doors during the cooler months in climates where temperatures drop below 40℉(10℃) at any point in the year.

What is the best way to maintain the right temperature for my Buffalo gourd?

Keeping your Buffalo gourd at the right temperature can be fairly simple. Depending on where you grow it, Buffalo gourd can be fairly easy to accommodate. For indoor growing, you can easily move the plant to different locations within your indoor space that best meet its temperature requirements. Avoid placing it near air conditioning vents, heaters, doors that open frequently, or drafty windows.

It is a little more difficult to control the temperature around your Buffalo gourd if it’s grown outside. Of course, if it’s planted in a pot, you can simply bring it indoors when the temperatures outside get too hot or too cold for Buffalo gourd, but otherwise, you may need to take different measures to protect it from extreme heat or cold that may damage it irreversibly. Try placing Buffalo gourd under cover to protect from both the harsh sun that can overheat it and any cold wind that could be potentially deadly for your plant.

Get tips and tricks for your plants.

Keep your plants happy and healthy with our guide to watering, lighting, feeding and more.

Related Plants

Field mustard

Field mustard (Brassica rapa) is a plant that is widely cultivated and produces oilseed. Canola oil is made from the field mustard oilseed. Field mustard attracts white butterflies who gain nutrients from its flowers.

Common blue wood-aster

Common blue wood-aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) is a herbaceous (non-woody stems) flowering perennial that grows up to 91 cm tall. Its flowers are violet, blue, purple, lavender, and sometimes white with yellow centers. Common blue wood-aster is native to central and eastern North America. This plant is also called the "Heart Leaf Aster" and the "Broad-leaf Aster."

Centipede tongavine

Centipede tongavine (Epipremnum pinnatum) is a plant species native to the Philippines. Centipede tongavine is also called the dragon-tail plant . This species is often planted for ornamental purposes and cultivated in planters. This species is called tibatib in the Philippines. It has become naturalized in the West Indies.

Thorny olive

Thorny olive (Elaeagnus pungens) is a flowering shrub native to Asia. Thorny olive is also commonly called silverthorn. In the United States, thorny olive is planted ornamentally in landscaping in the southeastern region. Thorny olive grows in variable temperate conditions, and it attracts birds.

Creeping jenny

The Latin name Lysimachia nummularia means "like a coin", giving the additional common names of herb twopence or twopenny grass. The creeping jenny works well as a groundcover and can be used in a bog garden.

Spanish cherry

The spanish cherry (Mimusops elengi) is a robust tree native to mountainous regions. Its wood is incredibly tough and can withstand whatever weather gets thrown its way! Many other parts of the trees are useful for practical applications, such as the seeds being used to make beads, and the flowers for stuffing pillows.

View More Plants

Useful Tips

Best Perennial Plant to Grow

Plant Collection Best Perennial Plant to Grow Orange daylily See More The Orange daylily is a perennial plant known for its captivating lily-like blooms. Its natural habitats are meadows and forests, but it is also a common garden plant in temperate regions around the world. Each individual flower lasts only a day, but the plantContinue reading “Best Perennial Plant to Grow”

Useful Tips

Best Perennial Plant to Grow

Plant Collection Best Perennial Plant to Grow China rose See More The China rose (Rosa chinensis) is a Southwest China native. The plant has been cultivated for so long that it has become hard to tell the difference between wild and cultivated varieties. With medium-sized clusters of flowers and a long blooming season, it isContinue reading “Best Perennial Plant to Grow”

View More Articles

Add to My Garden

Buffalo gourd

Cucurbita foetidissima

Also known as: Calabazilla, Coyote gourd, Prairie gourd, Stink gourd

9 to 11

Hardiness Zones

Spring, Summer

Planting Time