About
This bushy annual plant typically grows to about 1 meter in height. It features large, deeply lobed leaves that are a silvery dark green, along with edible yellow flowers that appear in summer. Following the flowering period, it produces numerous medium-sized courgettes, characterized by their striped dark and pale green skin and a nutty flavor. For optimal taste, harvest the fruit when it reaches approximately 25 centimeters in length.
About the genus
This genus consists of small, annual herbaceous plants that either climb or trail. Several species within this group are cultivated for their edible fruits and other applications. They originate from Central and South America. The flowers are typically solitary and star-shaped, exhibiting a golden-yellow hue. The leaves are characterized by their palmately lobed structure and are adorned with fine, prickly hairs.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial
- Habit
- Bushy, Trailing
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1 year
- Suggested uses
- Patio and container plants, Wildlife gardens
- Toxicity
- Humans/Pets: If crop is bitter, don't eat or feed to pets. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Start seeds off indoors from mid-April, or outdoors after all risk of frost has passed. Grow in soil enriched with compost or well-rotted manure, or in a peat-free growing bag, or large tub of peat-free multipurpose compost. Keep well-watered and feed every 10-14 days with a high potash liquid fertiliser once the first fruits start to swell. See courgette cultivation
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to slugs and snails
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to grey moulds on the fruit and powdery mildews on the foliage