This is a picture of the "fruit" as it looks today (Aug 16th, 2003)

I have the vine growing up a fence so I am wondering how large this squash will get.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:877416}}

Don't know if this will help or not but the only cushaws that I'm familiar with have a distinct, fairly long neck on them. I think your vine is very striking--never seen a varigated pumpkin vine before. If you save any seeds I would sure like to get some from you.

RipFl,

I thought that Cushaw had a long neck too, but I have seen pictures of some that don't. It seems that there is some variation even on the same vine.

I probably will save the seed and grow a few next year just out of curiosity, but I didn't isolate this plant or hand pollinate and I do have other winter squash growing very close.

If you still want some seed, email me and I will save some for you.

Tree,

I grew a couple of different Cushaw varieties for my Shaker 1850's garden and neither of them looked like that and neither of them had foliage that lookeed like that.

Both mine were from Glenn Drowns ( Sand Hill Preservation) who is the curator for Cucurbits for SSE and knows his squash. (smile)

But there are many Cushaws listed in the SSE Annual and if I found time I could go thru them for you but if you say your convinced that a cushaw could look like what you show, then I won't do that. (smile)

carolyn

Carolyn,

I am not sure about anything at this point. I can not believe that I messed up so badly on marking things. I have quite a few things that I can't identify and more that are growing in places where I didn't think I planted them.

Next Year will be DIFFERENT! .... famous last words.

These are the varieties of winter squash I planted:

Tricolor Cushaw
White Cushaw
(both from Baker Creek)

Green Stripe Cushaw (recieved in a trade ... so suspect)

I see no evidence of any of the Cushaw surviving except for this one plant that I suspect may be one. Maybe I should rephrase that ... I see no other fruit that looks like Cushaw, if the plants survived they are not producing. The vines are growing together so much that it is hard to see where they originate.

Yugoslavian Finger Fruit (Baker Creek and exactly as predicted)

Mariana Di Chioggia (Baker Creek and as described)

Red Kuri (Baker Creek and as described)

Red Warty Thing (Baker Creek and as described)

Triamble ( Seed Savers retail store and as described .... even though I didn't think any of them had germinated .. I guess I mixed up my plants right from the get go...)

I also have Lady Godiva (hulless pumpkin seeds) growing in another garden ..... as predicted except for one plant that is produceing a white pumpkin. I know I only planted hulless seeds ........... and the white one does not have hulless seeds, one was cracking so I cut it open. Definately regular seeds ........... but the Chickens love it. I thought "did I get a white cushaw planted here by mistake?" ............. but it doesn't look like a cushaw ... looks like one of those white pumpkins that have become popular.

I am getting carried away ... sorry .... I am certainly learning a few lessons this year.

Green Stripe Cushaw (recieved in a trade ... so suspect)

Below is a link to two pix of Green Striped.

Has a very short neck for a cushaw but definitely a neck. I don't think I saw a neck on yours, or maybe one will still appear? (smile)

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Green Striped Cushaw

Carolyn,

Thanks for the link .... Green Striped Cushaw sure doesn't look like what I've got.

It really is a stretch of the imagination to think my unknown squash is a Cushaw ....

My best guess at this point is that it is something that has crossed. It will be interesting to see what it taste like.

I found a post of yours that mentioned the "virus" theory for Moon and Stars. I hadn't thought of that particular plant when I suggested the varigation in the leaves being caused by a virus, but I would agree with you.

What made me think of a virus, is because we have some trilliums that have green stripes in the "flower" and that is caused by a virus.

Thanks to everyone for all the help and suggestions.

your plant and fruit look just like the striped zucchini I planted this past summer.. It was supposed to e the dark green zuc's but I got this supprize instead. One thing though, did the fruit from yours have any lenght to it? The plant and leaves are exactly the same.

This still is puzzling me .................

I am pretty sure that this has got to be from the seeds I got from Baker Creek. TriColor Cushaw. The fruit has the same coloring as pictured on their site, but the shape of all of mine were round.

There is no description of the foliage, but I have a feeling that the varigated leaves are unusual.

I am wondering if I should contact Baker Creek to see if they had any other reports about this. Maybe they won't even care ............... or be interested.

I think I passed these seeds on to another GW member, so I would like to let "her" know if I find out more.

Tree,

I went back up and looked at the second photo to take anther look.

That doesn't look like the tri color Cushaw pictured in the 2004 Baker Creek catalog at all.

And I can't remember if the Baker Creek photo showed foliage but for sure variegated foliage would not be common with any squash. Actually it might be an interesting novelty. Sine you saved seeds it might be a good idea to regrow it.

Did you have one plant or more and if more were all the plants giving you the same shape and same foliage?

Viral? Could be, no real way to know. Any chemicals or herbicides of any kond in the area?

I know you posted elsewhere today about this and maybe you want to hit folks there cold with what you said, so i didn't post or summarize what has been discussed here.

Depending on what responses you get you might want to share what's been said here as well.

If I were you I think I might e-mail Baker Creek about what you have and send along the picture and ask about the squash shape and the leaf variegation. And tell them you bought the seed from them and ask what they think might be going on. And I'd be sure to mention how many plants you had, such that they'd know if it might be a fluke or all seeds sent out were that different.

Carolyn

tree,

You probably saw Baker Creek's answer to you elsewhere.

Jere also thinks it's a virus re the variegation, as did I as mentioned above, but interestingly didn't say anything about the shape of the fruit. The ones pictured in his catalog have long necks as is typical for a cushaw, while yours don't .

And I found something interesting in the 2003 SSE Yearbook this AM.

Glenn Drowns lists a Hopi Cushaw, with a true Cushaw shape and says it has Moon and Stars type pattern on the leaves and splotchy orange patches on the green.

So variegation can occur on squash foliage/fruits and Glenn Drowns has more experience with squash than anyone I know, to date. I mean as a variety that has it, not in other terms.

Someone listed a Tri-color Cushaw in the 2002 Yearbook. He's from MA and lists a commercial source in code which I'd have to look up, but not Baker Creek and nmot Sand Hill and says, cushaw with green stripes on a white background with an orange sunburned appearance.

Carolyn

Carolyn,

Thanks so much for continuing to help me out with this.

Yes I did see Baker Creek's answer to my question. I noticed that he didn't comment on the shape, but since I don't know what a virus can and can't do, I assumed that he thougth the virus changed the shape of the squash too.

He didn't mention anyone else reporting these results.

I guess all I can do is inform the person I am sending seed to of what my results were and asking her to keep in touch with me to let me know what developes for her.

I saved 5 seeds for myself, and I think I will plant them this spring. I really did love the way the plant looked and if I get the varigation again, I'm going to save seed.

I did not save seed last season, as I did not hand pollinate and I had other squashes growing in the same garden. This year I will only grow this one C. mixta squash.

My continued gratitude for all your help.

I have something growing in my garden. A neighbor told me it was a cushaw. then it didn't have the long neck, so than we thought it was a watermelon. Tonight i cut it open and it looked and smelled like a pumpkin, the pic i saw on here was more yellow. where mine was mostly green and white, like a watermelon. The funny thing is i didn't plant either
watermelon or cushaw. in that area i planted cucumbers. And i only have had a few of those. was your cushaw green and white at first?

Hello,

As my squash grew it did turn more yellow, but always had the green stipes too.

I too thought it looked more like a watermelon then a squash, but when cut open, it was obviously a Squash. the texture was a bit like a spaghetti squash.

I am sure that mine came from seed that was suppose to be Tricolor cushaw. It could possibly have been a cross or a virus.

I grew one plant from the same seed this year, and it has turned out to be a Cushaw with the crookneck and regular green leaves. The coloring of the fruit itself looks very much like the odd squash from last year.

I will see if I can post a picture somewhere and link it to this thread.

I imagine that the Birds planted your squash after a chance cross pollination by the Bees. ;-)

I hope this works.

Here's a link to the Garden Photo Forum where I posted a picture of this years Tricolor Cushaw Squash.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tricolor Cushaw 2004