Courgette (zucchini)
Cucurbita pepo L.
Botanical family: Cucurbitaceae
A vigorous and productive cucurbit, whose fruit is eaten while still young.
Full sun
Rich, humus-rich
Abundant
Frost-tender annual: it dislikes cold and frost, and is planted out after the last frosts
An annual killed by frost in your zone
The same plant bears male and female flowers; insects, mainly bees, carry pollen from one to the other
One plant is enough for a crop
Role in permaculture
A cucurbit (Cucurbita pepo) with separate male and female flowers on the same plant, dependent on bees and bumblebees for cross-pollination, hence the value of companion flowers nearby. Sow in pots in April or in place after the last frosts (mid-May), in rich soil well supplied with compost. Its large leaves quickly cover the ground and limit weeds; mulching and watering at the base (never on the foliage) slows the powdery mildew common in late summer. Harvesting young and regularly keeps production going.
Good companions
Fix nitrogen from the air (legumes)
Attract pollinators and beneficial insects
Suppress some soil nematodes (dense planting, before the crop)
Trap plants (variable effect, need watching)
Traditional companion planting (benefit not demonstrated)
Poor companions
Allelopathy, reputed or observed: may slow some neighbours
Traditional avoidance (antagonism not demonstrated)
Insects attracted or useful
Known pests & diseases
Pests and diseases that commonly affect this plant, tap to learn how to recognise and manage them.
Seasons & availability
Picked continuously all summer, from June to October.
Available: June, July, August, September, October.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- RHS, « How to Grow Courgettes » (rhs.org.uk/vegetables/courgettes/grow-your-own)
- Le Biau Germe, « Courgettes » (biaugerme.com/semences/potageres/legumes-fruit/courgettes)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Some bitter courgettes can contain irritant cucurbitacins; an abnormally bitter taste means you must not eat it.
Family behaviour: Cucurbitaceae
In general, Cucurbitaceae are trailing and hungry for organic matter: they need water, warmth and a compost-rich soil. Their large leaves cover the soil and limit evaporation, the role they play in the Three Sisters guild (maize + bean + squash).
Understanding families means learning one rule per family rather than every pairing one by one. Learn more →
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Common varieties
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
Peoples of Mesoamerica (Oaxaca Valley), then the Nahuas (ayotli) · Guilá Naquitz cave, Oaxaca (~10,000 years ago); central Mexico in the 16th century
The courgette belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo, one of the very first plants domesticated in the Americas. An attested fact: in the Guilá Naquitz cave, in Oaxaca, remains of C. pepo, seeds, peduncles, rind fragments, have been dated to about 10,000 to 8,000 years ago, that is, even before maize. In Nahuatl, squash is called ayotli, a term documented as a staple crop of the milpa alongside maize and beans, the 'three sisters'. One must, however, distinguish the species from its present-day form: the courgette as it is harvested young is a modern European selection, mostly Italian, whereas its species was indeed born in Mesoamerica.
Bruce D. Smith, « The Initial Domestication of Cucurbita pepo in the Americas 10,000 Years Ago », Science, 1997, vol. 276, nᵒ 5314, p. 932-934 (DOI 10.1126/science.276.5314.932) ; pour ayotli, Nahuatl Dictionary (Wired Humanities), attestations Alva 1634 et Codex Chimalpahin.
The fact is solid at the level of the species C. pepo and its antiquity; the species is distinct from the modern courgette-cultivar, of European origin. The Nahuatl ayotli designates squashes in general (pepo and moschata), not specifically the courgette: no vegetable of the present-day form is credited here to the ancient Oaxacans. No health claim is made here.