Oh My Gourd!
The buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) is in the cucumber family and related to cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins. This fall-ripening gourd has many common names including stinking gourd due to the foul odour produced by the crushed flowers. This odour along with many chemical compounds in the plant deter insects that would otherwise feast upon it. Spread across the western states, this gourd has a rich history of traditional, domestic, culinary, and medicinal uses. It can be recognized by the sprawling vine which grows in patches, fuzzy triangular leaves, yellow five pointed flowers in the summer, and green to yellow round gourds in the fall. There have been multiple iNaturalist observations of buffalo gourd in Coconino National Forest in the last month, so be on the lookout! Happy Gourd Season!
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