Is a cucumber a melon or a squash?
The Melon Family, Cucurbitaceae, is a plant family commonly known as melons, gourds or cucurbits and includes crops like cucumbers, squashes (including pumpkins), luffas, melons (including watermelons).
Is cucumber and squash from the same family?
The word "cucumber" comes from the Latin name for this plant: Cucumis sativus. This means it’s made of the same stuff as squash. In fact, they both come from the gourd family. Squashes have been around since ancient times. Some people think that the first squashes were created by Native Americans who cultivated them on their farms.
Are cucumbers nightshade vegetables?
Here’s a list of vegetables that people often think are nightshades, but are not nightshades: Black pepper. Coffee. Cucumbers. Also Read Is a dandelion a annual or perennial? Is broccoli a nightshade? And everyone’s favorite cruciferous veggie, broccoli, is also not on the nightshade vegetable list.
Is kabocha squash the same as butternut squash?
While they are similar in flavor, they are not the same. Butternut squash tends to have a bit more of a “nutty” flavor than Kabocha. Kabocha has a more mellow flavor.
Is cucumber a squash?
No! Although you can eat cucumbers like a vegetable, they aren’t really part of the squash family. You might be confused because there are some similarities between the two plants. Both grow on vines and produce round fruits. However, cucumbers don’t look anything like squash.
What is a squash?
Squash is actually a type of melon. Melons are another member of the gourd family along with pumpkins, watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydews, etc.
What else do cucumbers and squash have in common?
Both cucumbers and squash are vegetables. Vegetables are foods that we consume when our bodies need nutrients. For example, if your body doesn’t get enough vitamins, then you will probably feel sick. If you want to make sure that you are getting enough nutrition, then eating lots of veggies is important.
The Cucurbitaceae family is very inclusive
There are over 400 species of plants within this family. This includes both edible and non-edible plants. Some examples include cucumbers, zucchini, summer squashes, winter squashes, and even some herbs such as dill weed. The list goes on!
Cucumbers, squash, melons, pumpkins: all so essential to our summer dinner tables and our vegetable gardens. All of these are members of the Cucurbitaceae plant family, commonly called "cucurbits"
Members of this family are easily recognized as kin. All have large leaves on prickly, fuzzy stems. The plants don't stand up on their own, but may climb using tendrils, or creep across the ground. If you've had success with ANY cucurbit, you should be able to master them all.
Unique flowering
All cucurbits, (except certain white-flowered gourds,) have medium to large flowers of yellow or orange . They can be stunning! But each flower is only open for one day. And each flower of any of these crops has only one gender. The first flowers to form on cucurbit plants will be male only.
Container cucurbits
Cucumbers are naturally on the smaller scale of this family. Cukes grow well in pots, if given a place to climb. Beyond cucumbers, your choice of container cucurbits is very small. Tiny ornamental pumpkins, novelty mini melons, and small pretty gourds can also be containerized.
Novelty cucurbits for the curious gardener
Cucurbits are popular in many cultures. Specialty seed catalogs and sites offer traditional Native American varieties, or cultivars from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Gourds are in the cucurbit family, and some gourds are eaten when small and tender. Ornamental gourds can be found in myriad shapes, sizes, and colors.
