Cushaw Green Striped
Cucurbita argyrosperma 'Green Striped Cushaw'
An ancient heirloom winter squash with a distinctive curved neck and beautiful green and white striped skin that has been grown by Native Americans for centuries. This vigorous vine produces massive fruits that can weigh up to 20 pounds, with sweet, fine-textured orange flesh that's perfect for pies and baking. The curved shape and striking appearance make it as ornamental as it is delicious.
Harvest
110-120d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
3–11
USDA hardiness
Difficulty
Moderate to challenging
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Cushaw Green Striped in USDA Zone 7
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Cushaw Green Striped · Zones 3–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | — | July – August | November – August |
| Zone 2 | — | — | June – August | November – September |
| Zone 11 | — | — | January – March | June – July |
| Zone 12 | — | — | January – March | June – July |
| Zone 13 | — | — | January – March | June – July |
| Zone 3 | — | — | June – July | October – October |
| Zone 4 | — | — | June – July | October – October |
| Zone 5 | — | — | May – June | October – October |
| Zone 6 | — | — | May – June | September – November |
| Zone 7 | — | — | April – June | September – October |
| Zone 8 | — | — | April – May | August – October |
| Zone 9 | — | — | March – April | July – September |
| Zone 10 | — | — | February – April | July – August |
Succession Planting
Green Striped Cushaw takes 110–120 days to mature, so you realistically get one planting per season in most climates. Direct sow from April through early June in zone 7 — seeds germinate in 7–14 days and the fruit needs a full summer of heat to size up before fall. NC State Extension's IPM guidance recommends planting squash as early as the season allows to help the crop outpace squash vine borers, which lay eggs in July; an early June sowing is about the latest that gives you meaningful protection.
Staggering plantings two weeks apart makes sense for lettuce or beans, not for a storage squash like this. Cured Cushaw keeps 3–6 months in a cool, dry spot, so one well-timed planting produces more than enough without burning extra bed space on a second round.
Complete Growing Guide
Because this heirloom requires 110–120 days to mature, start seeds indoors 3–4 weeks before your last frost or direct sow after soil reaches 70°F, as delayed planting risks insufficient season length. Cushaw vines are exceptionally vigorous and sprawling, so provide at least 100 square feet per plant and support heavy fruits with slings to prevent neck breakage—a cultivar-specific weak point. This variety prefers consistent warmth and well-draining, amended soil rich in organic matter; stress from irregular watering can trigger powdery mildew, to which Cushaws show moderate susceptibility. Watch for squash vine borers, which readily attack this cultivar; prevent damage by wrapping vine bases with aluminum foil and monitoring for sawdust-like frass. A practical tip: thin to one fruit per secondary vine to redirect energy into developing the characteristic large, sweet fruits rather than numerous small ones.
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Soil: High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt). Soil pH: Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: Medium. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Various shapes and colors of fruits are used for decorative purposes and seeds are edible. Often has a lovely striped and speckled pattern.
Color: Cream/Tan, Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Variegated, White. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible, Good Dried, Long-lasting
Harvest time: Fall
Storage & Preservation
Store freshly harvested Cushaw squash in a cool, dry location between 50-60°F with moderate humidity, ideally in a single layer on shelves or in crates that allow air circulation. Properly cured fruits keep for three to four months under these conditions. For longer preservation, freeze the cooked flesh in portions after roasting or steaming, which holds quality well for eight to ten months. The squash's dense, fine-textured flesh makes it excellent for canning as puree following tested USDA methods, or for drying into chips. Because Cushaw squash has thinner skin than many winter varieties, cure newly harvested fruits at 75-80°F for seven to ten days before storage to toughen the rind and extend keeping time. This extra step significantly improves its storage resilience compared to uncured fruit.
History & Origin
This ancient heirloom belongs to the Cushaw squash lineage, a group of curved-neck winter squashes with deep roots in Native American agriculture across the southwestern and southeastern United States. The "Green Striped" designation reflects selection for the distinctive striped skin pattern that distinguishes it from solid-colored Cushaw varieties. While specific breeder attribution and introduction date remain undocumented in modern horticultural records, the variety represents centuries of indigenous cultivation and seed-saving tradition. The Cushaw family itself derives from *Cucurbita argyrosperma*, a species domesticated in Mesoamerica, and these striped selections likely emerged through generations of intentional variety maintenance by Native American farming communities rather than formal breeding programs.
Origin: Central and South America
Advantages
- +Beautiful green and white striped skin makes it ornamental and visually striking
- +Sweet, nutty flavor with fine texture ideal for pies and baking
- +Massive 20-pound fruits provide excellent yield per plant for storage
- +Ancient heirloom variety with centuries of proven performance and cultural significance
- +Less susceptible to vine borers than many other winter squash varieties
Considerations
- -Requires 110-120 days, making it risky in short-season growing regions
- -Vulnerable to powdery mildew, bacterial wilt, and downy mildew diseases
- -Moderate to challenging growing difficulty demands experienced gardener knowledge
- -Squash bugs and cucumber beetles readily attack this variety's vines
Companion Plants
The Three Sisters combination — corn, beans, and squash together — is the most time-tested setup for a large sprawling squash like Green Striped Cushaw. The corn gives the beans something to climb, the beans fix nitrogen that feeds both neighbors, and the squash canopy shades out weeds while holding soil moisture underneath. At 110–120 days to harvest, Cushaw is a long-season crop, so pairing it with a sweet corn variety that matures in 75–85 days keeps the planting productive without both crops competing hard at the finish line.
Nasturtiums and marigolds pull their weight along the border for different reasons. Nasturtiums act as a trap crop for aphids, drawing soft-bodied insects away from the squash leaves. Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) get planted near cucurbits to deter cucumber beetles, though the evidence is more anecdotal than conclusive — they're still worth the bed space given how much damage beetles can do by spreading bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila). Radishes tucked at the edges can deter squash bugs if you let them bolt and flower rather than pulling them at the root stage.
Potatoes don't belong in this bed. They draw from the same soil nutrient pool and create conditions that raise disease pressure on both crops. Fennel is the harder no — it releases allelopathic compounds from its roots that suppress germination and growth of most garden vegetables, and a vine with a 6–8 foot spread doesn't need that kind of chemical interference at the root zone.
Plant Together
Corn
Provides vertical support for squash vines and creates beneficial microclimate
Beans
Fixes nitrogen in soil benefiting heavy-feeding squash plants
Radishes
Deters squash bugs and cucumber beetles while breaking up soil
Nasturtiums
Acts as trap crop for squash bugs and cucumber beetles
Marigolds
Repels nematodes and various pests including cucumber beetles
Catnip
Strong deterrent against squash bugs and other cucurbit pests
Oregano
Repels cucumber beetles and provides general pest deterrent properties
Sunflowers
Attracts beneficial insects and provides partial shade for squash
Keep Apart
Potatoes
Compete for space and nutrients, may harbor similar soil-borne diseases
Aromatic herbs (strong)
Strong scents from sage or rosemary may inhibit squash growth
Fennel
Allelopathic properties inhibit growth of cucurbits and most vegetables
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #168040)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Natural resistance to squash vine borers, good heat tolerance
Common Pests
Squash bugs, cucumber beetles, less affected by vine borers
Diseases
Powdery mildew, bacterial wilt, downy mildew
Troubleshooting Cushaw Green Striped
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Leaves develop white powdery coating, usually starting mid-summer on older foliage
Likely Causes
- Powdery mildew — a fungal infection that thrives in warm days and cool nights with low moisture on leaf surfaces
- Dense vine sprawl cutting off airflow around the canopy
What to Do
- 1.Remove and trash the worst-affected leaves — don't compost them
- 2.Spray with a diluted baking soda solution (1 tablespoon per gallon of water) or a potassium bicarbonate product every 7 days; coat both leaf surfaces
- 3.At planting time next year, give each hill the full 72–96 inch spacing — these vines get large and crowded plants make this worse
Plant wilts suddenly during the day even with adequate soil moisture, then collapses within a few days
Likely Causes
- Bacterial wilt (Erwinia tracheiphila) — transmitted by cucumber beetles feeding on leaves
- Striped or spotted cucumber beetles present on or near the plant
What to Do
- 1.Cut a wilted stem near the base, touch the two cut ends together, then slowly pull them apart — if you see sticky threads stretching between them, bacterial wilt is almost certainly the cause
- 2.Pull and remove infected plants immediately; the disease spreads through the beetles, not the soil, so leaving sick plants just feeds more beetles
- 3.Next season, NC State Extension recommends removing plant debris at the end of the season and rotating out of cucurbits for at least 3 years to disrupt cucumber beetle egg overwintering
Flattened gray-brown insects clustered on stems and leaf undersides; leaves bronzing and dying back from the edges
Likely Causes
- Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) — they feed in groups and are most damaging when plants are young
- Egg masses (bronze, oval, laid in neat clusters on leaf undersides) going undetected until a large population builds
What to Do
- 1.Check leaf undersides every 3–4 days starting at vine elongation and scrape off egg masses into a bucket of soapy water
- 2.Trap adults by laying a board or cardboard near the base of the plant overnight — squash bugs congregate under it and you can collect and kill them in the morning
- 3.Neem oil or insecticidal soap applied directly to nymphs (the small, pale juveniles) is more effective than spraying adults; adults have thicker cuticles and shrug off most contact insecticides
Frequently Asked Questions
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Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
- ExtensionNC State Extension
- USDAUSDA FoodData Central
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.