Cucurbita pepo var. pepo

Calabaza, field pumpkin, Field Pumpkin

Family: Cucurbitaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Calabaza is a naturalized perennial found in southern California's Ventura County in sandy places at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces large orange flowers up to 9 centimeters across with distinctive cordate leaves. Growing with scabrous herbage and branching tendrils, it develops sprawling stems with green leaves marked by prominent white main veins. Its leaves are broadly heart-shaped, 20 to 60 centimeters wide, with three to five distinct lobes, the terminal lobe being the longest. The fruit grows impressively large, over 10 centimeters wide, and can be dark green, yellow, or orange, often featuring multiple colors or speckled patterns.

Habitat: Sandy places

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: SCo (Ventura Co.)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.