30 seeds. 75 days. Lagenaria siceraria. Annual.
 
Gourd 'Serpente de Sicilia Cucuzzi' is an edible gourd with spring green fruits. Eat the young fruits while they are still covered in a light fuzz. You can pick the fruits when they are 12 to 15 inches long. Before eating, peel slightly mature gourds that with tougher skin. This Italian heirloom is juicy with a pleasant, mild taste and smooth texture. Cook it as you would zucchini. Also, known as Cucuzzi Gourd, Zucchetta Serpenti de Sicillia, and Serpent of Sicily.
 
I tried an edible gourd for the first time in 2024 and fell in love with it. Serpent of Sicily produces a profusion of soft, fuzzy leaves and delicate white flowers. I would grow it just for the leaves alone! The vines grow around 20 feet long, which will cover your fence and your neighbor's fence. Serpente de Sicilia Cucuzzi produce in late summer. I was worried our zone 5 garden would be too short a season for it, but we had more than we could eat by late summer. It produces later than zucchini. Make sure to plant it in a warm full-sun area if you are in a cooler zone. Lastly, if squash vine borers are your nemesis, consider growing edible gourds instead. Squash vine borers will not bother gourds.
 
 
Sowing Gourd Seeds: 
 
Sacrify seeds seed and soak overnight. Sow seeds outdoors in hills 1 inch deep after the last frost date.  Space hills 4-6 feet apart. Thinned to 2 plants per hill. Or, sow under a heavy duty trellis. Full sun.
 
Grown by Megan's Heirloom Seeds.