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Also known as courgette or baby marrow, zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) is one of the versatile summer vegetables you can plant in your home garden. Under the right conditions, zucchini can yield bountiful harvest and provide countless culinary uses.
Technically, zucchini is a fruit, specifically, a berry. It is often treated as a vegetable in the kitchen, served as a side dish or used as an ingredient for savory recipes. From the common green summer squash to the striped varieties, learn more about this kitchen staple.
Common Zucchini Types
Growing your own zucchini at home allows you to access lesser-known varieties, and even ensure your crops are purely organic. Typical zucchinis have a smooth, green rind with an elongated shape. These varieties are widely sold in grocery stores for their desirable appearance.
However, other zucchini varieties come in different colors, shapes, and sizes. Before buying your zucchini seeds, it’s important to know the distinction between heirloom and hybrid zucchinis.
Heirloom and Hybrid Zucchinis
To be a considered heirloom, a particular plant variety should be at least 40 to 50 years free from crossbreeding. Among summer squash varieties, Black Beauty, Caserta, Cocozelle, Dark Green, Zucchini Golden, Zucchini Grey, and Zucchini Italian Striped are some of the most popular zucchini heirlooms. Being true-to-seed, these heirloom varieties are excellent for seed saving, carrying similar traits from the parent plant. Traditionally, heirloom varieties are passed down from generation to generation in various ethnic, familial, or other social groups. Private institutions, such as seed companies and universities, have also maintained certain heirloom plants.
Cash Machine, Desert, Easypick Gold II, Emerald Delight, Golden Star, and Noche are some of the most popular hybrid zucchinis. Through deliberate cross breeding between two zucchini varieties, agriculturists can imbue specific traits into the resulting hybrid. Improvements on disease resistance, flavor, growth, pest resistance, size, yield, and other traits can be made in hybrids.
Other Popular Zucchini Groupings
Classified by specific traits in the tables below, discover these zucchini varieties you can grow at home!
Types of Zucchini Skin Colors
Not all zucchinis have green exteriors. Other colors and patterns can be seen in some varieties.
| Zucchini Skin Colors | Common Examples (Where to Buy) |
|---|---|
| Green-Skinned Zucchinis | Black Beauty (Eden Brothers, Territorial Seed Company, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds) Cashflow Hybrid (True Leaf Market) Fordhook (Eden Brothers, Rare Seeds) Jasper F1 (True Leaf Market) Noche (Territorial Seed Company) |
| Striped Zucchinis | Cocozelle (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market) Caserta (True Leaf Market) Dario (Territorial Seed Company) Green Zebra (True Leaf Market) Sunstripe (Territorial Seed Company) Vegetable Marrow Green Bush (True Leaf Market) Zucchini Italian Striped (True Leaf Market) |
| Yellow-Skinned Zucchinis | Chiffon (Territorial Seed Company) Early Prolific Straightneck (Eden Brothers) Easypick Gold II (Territorial Seed Company) Golden Glory Hybrid (True Leaf Market) Golden Star (Territorial Seed Company) Yellowfin (Territorial Seed Company) Zucchini Golden (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds) |
Types of Zucchini Shapes
Zucchinis can have cylindrical, spherical, or other irregular shapes.
| Zucchini Shapes | Common Examples (Where to Buy) |
|---|---|
| Elongated Zucchinis | Astia (Territorial Seed Company) Caserta (True Leaf Market) Cash Machine (Territorial Seed Company) Lungo Bianco Cylindrical (Eden Brothers) Mexicana (Territorial Seed Company) Zucchini Grey (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds) |
| Round Zucchinis | Early Bulam (True Leaf Market) Ronde De Nice (Eden Brothers) Round Zucchini (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market) Teot Bat Put (True Leaf Market) Zucca De Lungo Verde (True Leaf Market) Zucchini Eight Ball Hybrid (True Leaf Market) |
| Irregularly Shaped Zucchinis | Gelber Englischer Custard (Rare Seeds) Patisson Golden Marbre Scallop (Rare Seeds) White Scallop (Eden Brothers, Rare Seeds) |
Types of Zucchini Flavors
Generally, zucchinis are mild in flavor. Some varieties are sweeter than others.
| Zucchini Flavors | Common Examples (Where to Buy) |
|---|---|
| Mild and Nutty Zucchinis | Dark Green (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market) Early Prolific Straightneck (Eden Brothers) Fordhook (Eden Brothers, Rare Seeds) Lungo Bianco Cylindrical (Eden Brothers) Round Zucchini (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market) |
| Sweet Zucchinis | Black Beauty (Eden Brothers, Territorial Seed Company, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds) Cocozelle (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market) Zucchini Golden (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds) Zucchini Eight Ball Hybrid (True Leaf Market) |
Types of Geographic Origins
Zucchini is believed to have originated in Mesoamerica, and later bred in Milan, Italy.
| Geographic Origins | Common Examples (Where to Buy) |
| European, and Mediterranean Zucchinis | Astia (Territorial Seed Company) Caserta (True Leaf Market) Cocozelle (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market) Gelber Englischer Custard (Rare Seeds) Ronde de Nice (Rare Seeds) Trieste White (True Leaf Market) |
| Central, North, and South American Zucchinis | Black Beauty (Eden Brothers, Territorial Seed Company, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds) Dario (Territorial Seed Company) Mexicana (Territorial Seed Company) |
| Asian Zucchinis | Early Bulam (True Leaf Market) King Ka Ae (True Leaf Market) Teot Bat Put (True Leaf Market) Vegetable Marrow White Bush (True Leaf Market) |
Types of Culinary Uses
Zucchini is a well-loved fruit for its many culinary uses. Most cooks treat the fruit as a vegetable.
| Culinary Uses | Common Examples (Where to Buy) |
|---|---|
| Zucchinis for Baking and Roasting | Black Zucchini (True Leaf Market) Round Zucchini (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market) White Scallop (Eden Brothers, Rare Seeds) |
| Zucchinis for Raw Applications | Black Beauty (Eden Brothers, Territorial Seed Company, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds) Dark Green (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market) Zucchini Elite Hybrid (True Leaf Market) Zucchini Spineless Beauty Hybrid (True Leaf Market) |
| Zucchinis for Stir-fry | Cashflow Hybrid (True Leaf Market) Early Bulam (True Leaf Market) Teot Bat Put (True Leaf Market) Trieste White (True Leaf Market) |
Types of Disease Resistance
Some hybrid zucchinis are more resistant to certain plant diseases than others.
| Disease Resistance | Common Examples (Where to Buy) |
|---|---|
| Disease Resistant Zucchinis | Cash Machine (Territorial Seed Company) Dario (Territorial Seed Company) Desert (Territorial Seed Company) Easypick Gold II (Territorial Seed Company) Emerald Delight (Territorial Seed Company) Noche (Territorial Seed Company) Mexicana (Territorial Seed Company) Yellowfin (Territorial Seed Company) |
| Susceptible Varieties | Zucchini Eight Ball Hybrid (True Leaf Market) |
Types of Preferred Growing Conditions
Zucchinis with a bush-type growth are ideal for containers. Other varieties are more suitable for field or greenhouse planting.
| Preferred Growing Conditions | Common Examples (Where to Buy) |
|---|---|
| Container Zucchinis | Astia (Territorial Seed Company) Cash Machine (Territorial Seed Company) Golden Star (Territorial Seed Company) Zucchini Golden (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds) Zucchini Grey (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds) |
| Field and Greenhouse Zucchinis | Early Bulam (True Leaf Market) Easypick Gold II (Territorial Seed Company) Desert (Territorial Seed Company) King Ka Ae (True Leaf Market) |
Popular Varieties of Uniform-Colored Zucchinis
Most zucchinis sold commercially have uniform colors. Seeds for these varieties are also available in many seed stores.
| Variety | Description | Days to Germination | Days to Maturity After Flowering | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Beauty | Black Beauty is an All-America Selections winner due to its high-yielding capacity and vigorous plant growth. The resulting summer squash can reach 6 to 8 inches long with smooth, dark green skin and creamy-white flesh. | 4 to 14 days | 60 to 70 days | Eden Brothers, Territorial Seed Company, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds |
| Early Prolific Straightneck | This bush-type zucchini variety grows bright yellow crops of about 6 inches long at best. Early Prolific Straightneck is an All-America Selections winner (from 1938) for its reliable productivity. If you’re looking for an early-season zucchini suitable for container planting, look no further. | 4 to 9 days | 45 to 50 days | Eden Brothers |
| Easypick Gold II | Easypick Gold II is a spineless summer squash variety that makes harvesting less challenging. It yields golden zucchinis and boasts intermediate resistance to papaya ringspot virus, and watermelon mosaic and zucchini yellow mosaic virus. | 5 to 10 days | 50 to 55 days | Territorial Seed Company |
| Cashflow Hybrid | Cashflow Hybrid is a bush-type zucchini with resistance to yellow mosaic virus. The green-skinned zucchini from this variety can give a hint of sweetness to stir-fry and roasts. | 10 to 14 days | 46 to 51 days | True Leaf Market |
| Fordhook | A bush variety, Fordhook produces crisp summer squash with dark green exterior and white flesh, reaching 6 to 8 inches long. Fordhook is a bush-type zucchini and works as a reliable producer of classic-looking zucchinis. | 7 to 14 days | 50 to 55 days | Eden Brothers, Rare Seeds |
| Golden Glory Hybrid | Golden Glory Hybrid is an incredible zucchini variety that can produce fruit with little to no presence of pollen. The resulting crop can reach 7 to 8 inches long with a golden exterior and creamy interior. This variety is a superior option if you’re mindful of quality and uniformity in your zucchinis. | 7 to 10 days | 53 to 58 days | True Leaf Market |
| Golden Star | For home gardeners with limited space, consider planting the summer squash variety, Golden Star. Compact and easy to manage, this disease-resistant hybrid zucchini grows golden crops 6 to 10 inches in length. | 7 to 14 days | 55 to 60 days | Territorial Seed Company |
| Yellowfin | Yellowfin has intermediate resistance to cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew. Due to these improvements, you can enjoy a long-season harvest of cylindrical, golden zucchinis. | 7 to 14 days | 50 to 55 days | Territorial Seed Company |
| Zucchini Golden | First introduced in 1973, Zucchini Golden is a bush-type summer squash variety that grows 10-inch-long crops at best. It is an excellent choice for home gardeners who are planting zucchinis for the first time. | 4 to 14 days | 55 to 65 days | Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds |
Popular Varieties of Striped Zucchinis
Prominent stripes can be found in some zucchinis, both green- and yellow-skinned varieties.
| Variety | Description |
Days to Germination | Days to Maturity After Flowering | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocozelle | Cocozelle is an Italian heirloom zucchini, first introduced in 1885. Its fruit can reach 10 to 12 inches. You can also harvest the blooms and fry them with batter. | 7 to 14 days | 48 to 53 days | Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market |
| Dario | Reaching up to 12 inches long under ideal conditions, Dario is a prolific option among home gardeners for its minimal seed count and crisp texture. It grows in a bush-like plant structure and has intermediate resistance to powdery mildew and watermelon mosaic virus. | 5 to 10 days | 50 to 55 days | Territorial Seed Company |
| Green Zebra | Green Zebra is a spineless, bush-type summer squash. The resulting crop from this variety works excellently in grilled recipes. | 7 to 14 days | 42 to 47 days | True Leaf Market |
| Sunstripe | About 7 inches long at best, Sunstripe displays a unique look with its bright yellow skin with cream stripes. Expect an effortless harvest as Sunstripe has a spineless, bush-type growth. | 4 to 10 days | 55 to 60 days | Territorial Seed Company |
| Vegetable Marrow Green Bush | Hailing from England, Vegetable Marrow Green Bush was first introduced in the 1800s. This tender-fleshed zucchini variety has a compact plant structure, making it suitable for container planting. | 5 to 7 days | 80 to 100 days | True Leaf Market |
| Zucchini Italian Striped | Zucchini Italian Striped can reach up to 12 inches with a dark green exterior and paler stripes. This variety is also referred to as Cocozelle Zucchini. | 7 to 10 days | 55 to 60 days | True Leaf Market |
FAQ About Types of Zucchinis
Which zucchini varieties are spineless?
For a scratch-free harvest, consider planting spineless zucchinis such as Black Beauty, Garden Spineless Zucchini F1, Golden Zebra F1, Green Zebra F1, and Zucchini Spineless Beauty.
Which zucchini varieties are ideal as pasta substitutes?
If you’re looking for a low-carb substitute to typical pastas, consider using zucchini. Varieties like Caserta, Cocozelle, and Zucchini Cashflow Hybrid are excellent options.
Originally published on Types of Zucchini
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