Squash, (genus Cucurbita), genus of flowering plants in the gourd family

(Cucurbitaceae), many of which are widely cultivated as vegetables and for

livestock feed. Squashes are native to the New World, where they were
cultivated by native peoples before European settlement. The fruit of edible
species is usually served as a cooked vegetable, and the seeds and blossoms
may also be cooked and eaten.

Squash is a family of plants that comes in several different types. Winter varieties include
butternut, acorn, delicata, pumpkin, hubbard, kabocha and spaghettisquashes. Zucchini and
yellow squash — either with straight or crooked necks — are considered summer squashes

Because it contains seeds, squash is classified as a fruit though, like the tomato, it is used as a
vegetable when cooking. There are several varieties of squash, commonly placed into groups
such as winter squash and summer squash

Squash (Curcurbita sp.)

Of all the vegetable varieties, squashes are by far the most diverse in shape, size, and
overall appearance. The sheer complexity of this vegetable group invites growers on a
life-long adventure. There are many hundreds of different named varieties of squash
(perhaps more types in cultivation than any other group of vegetable), each with its
own fascinating history and facts about squash, but there are countless more yet to be
developed, as the plants are so easy to breed and prone to cross-pollination.