Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Red Car Property: Native Calabazilla

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 17, 2013.  Calabazilla flowers look like many other gourds.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 17, 2013.  The fruit of the native Calabazilla (Cucurbita foetidissima) doesn't get much larger than a handball.   When ripe, it turns yellow orange, leading to another of its names, "Mock Orange."

Disclaimer: The Corralitas Red Car Property Blog prefers to quote reliable sources, such as CalFlora and California Poison Control on the issue of toxicity.  We often get email suggesting some plants are edible. If you are eating your way through the Red Car Property, we DO NOT recommend you eat any plant you find in the Red Car Property neighborhood without first doing your own research.