courgette coloured squash

[traceys plot]

help i have large butternut squash shaped fruits growing yet they are the same colour as my courgettes, have they cross pollenated and is this common

[Thelma Sanders]

I have Lungha di Napoli, and that looks green courgette coloured

[traceys plot]

oh i thought that i had planted seeda saved out of last years squash. i may have got mixed up then, do you know if they do cross pollenate though as a bit confused to what i have done,,,,,,,,,,, thanks

[taff]

I grew it last year and they were mottled light green like a courgette but then turned the right colour when they were ripe.

[traceys plot]

oh ok they seem full size but wont pick any till last minute,,, they are still growing so i'll wait and see thank you.

[bethduckie]

I sowed three hunter squash seeds from the same packet- they were all the same shape initially (the fruits, I mean) but now two plants have smaller, lighter green fruits and are more like fat teardrops and one has really deep green coloured fruits and looks more butternut squash like in terms of shape and size.

Who knows! LOL.

[realfood]

Courgettes and Butternuts cannot form hybrids as they are different species of curcurbits.

[bethduckie]

In any case, it would be the seeds that wre hybrids, not the fruit surrounding the seeds. Next generation, not this generation, I mean.

[Jelliebabe]

I thought that they could? I polinated my butternut with my courgettes last year... or am I deluding myself! I thought thats why its hard to save seed from squash as they are so promiscuous?

[traceys plot]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, think the same thing has happened here bethduckie x lol

[Thelma Sanders]

according to this paper on cross pollination
Powered by Google Docs

c.pepo(courgettes) can x with moschato (butternuts)

[traceys plot]

this great thelma thanks will let you know if its edible when ripe x

[Alison]

Courgettes and Butternuts cannot form hybrids as they are different species of curcurbits.

Courgettes can cross perfectly well with winter squash and like to erm get about a bit so you do have to be careful

[traceys plot]

thanks alison x

[realfood]

Interesting paper. I was quoting from Organic way, this Summer's edition, where they were answering a question from a reader.