Courgette vs Pumpkin

Although we tend to think of these two vegetables as being very different, and cooking/eating them in distinct fashions, the reality is that they are both from the same family (gour/Cucurbitaceae), and genus (Cucurbita). So, in reality, they are quite similar.

Courgette, also known as summer squash, zucchini, or even baby marrow, is available in many cultivars, bringing you a wide range of colours, shapes, growth rates and tasty options.

Pumpkins are a type of squash that can also be found in a wide variety of shapes, colours and sizes.

No wonder, it can be confusing if you are planting them nearby each other, and you are just starting to get some fruits.

So, how can you tell them apart?

The courgette plant presents leaves that are very serrated, and dark green. They can also have some patches that are almost silvery. At a more general level, the stems will be shorter and upward - this means that while the plant can take a lot of space, it will occupy a well-defined space.

A pumpkin plant will have equally large leaves, but they will be more rounded, and with a homogenous green. The stems are where the main difference relies on, though: this plant acts more like a vine, with stems crawling all over the floor. The room might be in one place, and you will find flowers over a meter away in each direction.

If, like us, you planted different cultivars nearby each other you might end up trying to harvest a fruit from one plant only to realize it is coming from another one, much further away.

Hopefully, you will find this information useful and make it easier to tell these two wonderful plants apart.

If you are planting these plants, have a look at what companion plants to grow with, so they grow healthy without the need for any nasty stuff.