Trying to Identify a Squash

17 years ago

As explained in the thread linked below, 9-10 years ago when I lived in North Carolina's "High Country" -- Watauga and Jefferson Counties -- I was given an unusual squash. It was large, round, pink, and slightly flattened, though not so flat as the then newly popular "Cinderella" pumpkins. I was told that it was a "pie pumpkin" and told to save the seed.

The closest match to that squash that I could ever find in seed catalogs was the Long Island Cheese, which I am growing this year. And this year I was finally able to resurrect the seed of the "pie pumpkin" and get it to grow.

I have photos of the growing plants for comparison:

First, the Long Island Cheese:

Next, my Watauga Pie Pumpkin (you can see that the two are definitely not a match):

{{gwi:93454}}

And, for comparison purposes between two mottled-leaf varieties, the Argonaut:

I've seen pictures of the Old-Fashioned Tennessee Vining Pumpkin fruits, but none of the vines. The fruit of that variety seem to be taller and paler than the squash I remember. Is anyone growing that and, if so, could you post a photo? I'd like to compare the plants of that variety with what I am, now that I'm sure its not a Long Island Cheese, calling the Watauga Pie Pumpkin.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread About My Unknown Squash

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Comments (4)

Bob (Seattle, Zone 8a)
17 years ago
Just another note - I Googled Long Island Cheese pumpking and among the pictures was another, pinker and more flattened squash referred to as "French Cheese." The link is here: http://www.liseed.org/moschata.html Does this look more like your squash?
iam3killerbs
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you, but it was nowhere near so deeply lobed as those French pumpkins.

Very interesting link though. Its going into my permanent bookmark file.
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farmerdilla
17 years ago
You might take a look at some of the more pumpkin shaped C. moschata like the Dickinson. Long Island Cheese is a flat type as are all of the cheese pumpkins ( They are called that because the resembled the shape of an old fashioned wheel of Cheese)
iam3killerbs
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you. Dickinson isn't the right shape either. That and Amish Pie are both acorn-shaped. This was a semi-flattened globe -- not as flat as a cheese pumpkin but not tall enough to be a sphere.

As soon as I get some fruit set I'll post pictures and, of course, I'll post the photos of the mature ones.

I was hoping that those rather striking-looking leaves would ring a bell for someone, but its very hard to find photos of the leaves for any variety so I can compare plants.

It seems to be a recognized variety among farmers in western North Carolina but according to the woman in charge of the garden department at the local farm supply place its impossible to get seed commercially. She had one among the ornamental squash last fall and could not find seed to offer after a number of customers wanted it.