Warty, striped or pear-shaped, the fruits of ornamental gourds (Cucurbita, Lagenaria) ripen in colours running from orange through yellow to cream, on stems that climb any fence within reach. Grown for show rather than for the table, they dry hard and serve as ornaments all autumn and winter, provided they get full sun, rich, well-drained soil and no frost.
| Name | Cucurbita, Lagenaria … |
|---|---|
| Family | Cucurbitaceae (gourds) |
| Type | ornamental vegetable |
| Height | 8 to 20 inches (20 to 50 cm) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | rich and well drained |
| Harvest | fall |
Fruits come in surprising colors and shapes. After drying, they make excellent ornaments for fall and winter.
→ Often confused with true colocynth.
Ornamental gourd is grown just like pumpkin, they both come from the same family.
Grown as an annual, sowing starts in the month of March in a sheltered spot and is then transplanted in May, or is directly sown in place starting in May.
When transplanting the seedlings or sowing the seeds directly, provide for 3 feet (1 meter) growing space on all sides to give each decorative gourd plant enough room.
You can pinch off stems after the 3rd or 4th leaf to stimulate plant growth.
To avoid keeping each gourd fruit in close contact with the soil which could lead it to rot, it is better to add a layer of mulch or plastic between the fruit and the ground.
Unlike pumpkins for which keeping and ripeness are important, the harvest period for colocynths is much less critical.
The only factor that counts is the size and color you are aiming for. The longer they stay on the plant, the larger they grow and the more pronounced colors become.
However, there are three things you ought to know:
Typically, ornamental gourd is harvested in fall. It keeps for several months when protected from moisture in a rather cool spot.
From the first sowing under cover to the fruits stacked in a winter store, here is what each stage of the season asks of you.
| Stage | When | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing under cover | March | Start seed in a sheltered spot, to be transplanted later |
| Transplanting or direct sowing | May | Allow 3 feet (1 metre) on all sides for each plant |
| Mulching | As fruits form | A layer of mulch or plastic stops the fruit rotting on the soil |
| Harvest | Fall, as leaves dry up | Fruits must be very hard, and must not be caught by frost |
| Storing | After harvest | Cool, dry and ventilated, protected from moisture |
Only the harvest and storage stages really decide how long the fruits will last indoors.
A single plant gives fruits of one basic shape, so the only way to fill a basket with variety is to sow several named sorts. Here are the ones most often found in mainstream seed catalogues, and what each brings to the display.
| Variety | Fruit shape | Colour when ripe | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Baby Boo’ | Flattened mini pumpkin | Ivory white | Tabletop bowls, tree decorations |
| ‘Crown of Thorns’ | Ringed with ten stiff horns | Mixed white, green and yellow | Striking dried ornaments |
| ‘Bicolour Pear’ | Smooth pear | Orange top, cream base | Bowls and mixed heaps |
| ‘Jack Be Little’ | Flattened, deeply ribbed mini pumpkin | Deep orange | Table and mantelpiece displays |
| ‘Turk’s Turban’ | Turban, with a bulging top knob | Orange with green and cream stripes | Large centrepiece |
| ‘Speckled Swan’ | Long curved neck, swan-like | Dark green speckled white, drying tan | Drying and craft work |
All there is to know about Ornamental gourd
Ornamental gourd, sometimes called colocynth (in France especially), is only grown for its beautiful fruits. Colors range from orange to yellow to cream.
Dried and heaped in a basket, they are perfect to decorate a kitchen without needing to replace fruits as they rot.
You can also surprise your friends and children if you use smaller fruits as a Christmas tree decoration, it is beautiful and quite original! Of course, it’ll work wonders for Halloween, too – even carved!
A single plant will produce fruits that have a similar shape, but may differ greatly in color. If you want different shapes, you must plant different varieties (and even other species).
Usually, ornamental squash isn’t edible in that it doesn’t taste good and requires a lot of effort to prepare. But it’s not toxic or dangerous.
Don’t let too many fruits develop on a single plant (at most 5 or 6). Having too many fruits might reduce the quality of the entire harvest overall.
