38 Best Types of Squash | Best Squash Varieties to Grow

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Here’s an exclusive list of the Best Types of Squash you can grow in your garden with ease! Cultivate them today for a refreshing taste!

Check out the Best Types of Squash that you can grow in pots or gardens! They are easy to maintain and provide a plentiful harvest for the entire family.

Here are some amazing trellis ideas to grow squash


Best Types of Squash

Summer Squash 

These squashes are harvested when they are still immature. The plants on the below list have a bushy growth habit.

1. Cuarzo

38 Best Types of Squash | Best Squash Varieties to Grow 1

You can use this rare variety as an alternative to traditional zucchini. It is also a great choice for gardens as it grows fruits for an extensive period of time.

Find out the fruits that grow on vines here

2. Green Eggs

joysofcreating

This hybrid squash will give you the flavor of zucchini. Grill or slice it for perfect summer dining. The squash has deep green skin, and they grow on bushy vines.

3. Fortune

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Fortune is a cultivar of yellow squash and has a pale yellow, butter-hued skin. This easy-to-grow squash is quite similar to the ‘straight neck’ squash.

4. Gold Rush

406montanamade

The gold rush has a deep yellow rind with a waxy sheen. It has a mild taste, which is excellent for eating raw, steaming, or grilling.

5. Eight Ball

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alizardlovesyou

This hybrid variety is round in shape, like a pool ball. It has tender white flesh, which is perfect for baking and stuffing.

Check out the best dwarf vegetables for your garden here

6. Patty Pan

witcheseden

Patty pan has a distinct, flat shape and scalloped margins. Its sweet taste makes it popular for making cakes.

7. Crookneck

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honeysucklecreekfarmva

This squash is a cultivar of yellow summer squash with a prominent curved neck. It has tender, bumpy, or smooth skin, velvety flesh, and a mild flavor like zucchini.

8. Papaya Pear

impecta

As the name sounds, this little summer squash has the same shape as a papaya or a pear. You can use it for grilling, slicing, or relish it raw!

Find out the tastiest papaya varieties here

9. Cousa

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thedesotododo

It is quite similar to zucchini but possesses a bulbous bud end. This tender squash has a  sweet flavor and is famous in Lebanese and Syrian cuisines.

10. Straightneck

lit_gardener

This popular yellow summer squash cultivar is similar to crookneck but with an upright posture. It is a staple in American foods and is used in pasta, kabobs, soups, and stir-fries.

11. Chayote

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ilovemaonaga

Chayote closely belongs to the gourd family. It has hard flesh that tastes quite similar to traditional summer squash when cooked.

Learn about growing chayote in pots here

12. Zucchini

This popular squash is loved in many cuisines, from stir fry to spaghetti! The long, green squash has tender flesh and mild flavor.

Get the best tips for growing zucchini in pots here

13. Zephyr

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gardenlady

Zephyr is a hybrid between a crookneck squash and an acorn delicata hybrid. It has a mildly sweet, nutty flavor with a distinct grassy aftertaste.

14. Tromboncino

in_my_patch_

This squash variety is an elongated curvy Italian heirloom, having a taste similar to zucchini. If left on the vine, it can grow up to 3 feet in length.

15. Tatume

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shanabananatx

Juvenile forms come the size of a baseball and have a dense, flavorful flesh than yellow squash. Mature ones are about the size of a soccer ball and are ideal for baking.

Find out some fantastic deck vegetable garden ideas here


Winter Squash Varieties

The squashes mentioned below are harvested when they are fully ripe, and rind hardened.

16. Honeynut

Renee’s Garden • Seeds

It looks like mini butternut but has a sweet flavor. The flesh is deep orange and is best for baking.

17. Sugar Pumpkin

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Sugar pumpkins are commonly used for making pies. They can be steamed or baked and work best with dessert spices like fruit dip and soups.

Check out the best pumpkin varieties here

18. Spaghetti

Spaghetti is admired for fibrous, spaghetti-like flesh. The large cucurbit can be steamed for a side dish or served as a low-carb pasta substitute.

19. Yokohama

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sf_tropicals

Yokohama is a pumpkin-shaped cucurbit with gray skin, ridges, and bumps. It tastes pretty similar to winter squash and is used in the same way.

20. Red Kuri

123rf/plazaccameraman

This round squash has a red-orange skin with bright orange flesh. It tastes like chestnut, making the squash ideal for muffins, desserts, or savory dishes.

21. Hubbard

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tomorrowseeds

This large squash is typically pale blue but can be found in pale orange and green cultivars. The flesh is sweet and tastes like a mix of sweet potatoes and pumpkin.

22. Turban

123rf/visharo

This squash has a double-growth pattern, like a turban with a nutty and sweet flavor. You can add it to soups and curries or bake it with oil and spices.

23. Butternut

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123rf/kawerachaowat

This pink-orange squash has an elongated shape with a bulbous end. It has a pumpkin-like nutty flavor, which makes it perfect for soups.

24. Pink Banana Jumbo

plantnmore

This large squash has pale pink to pinkish-orange rind and a flesh similar to butternut or acorn squash. It has a mild flavor.

25. Kabocha

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123rf/joojoob27

Kabocha is also known as Japanese pumpkin or Japanese squash. It has a great velvety texture and sweet flavor.

Learn about growing pumpkins in pots here

26. Honey Bear

happylittleveggiegarden

This ultra-sweet squash is excellent for baking. It is an easy-to-grow variety and is also disease resistant.

27. Sweet Dumpling

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daffodilsanddaydreams

This acorn squash variety offers undersized ribbed fruit. It has sweet and tender orange flesh that tastes great!

28. Carnival

inhabitat

It’s a hybrid between popular squash and sweet dumpling squash. The flesh is orange and has a sweet maple syrup-like taste.

29. Delicata

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soknocottage

Delicata is an undersized cucurbit. The flesh is sweet and tastes like pumpkin, which also gives it the nickname ‘sweet potato squash’.

30. Sunshine Kabocha

Shutterstock/Ekaterina Pankina

This cultivar has unusual pink-orange skin. Its flesh is soft and sweet, making it perfect for mashing, baking, and pies.

31. Bonbon

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utopiahomesteadcanada

This squash is similar to the buttercup variety, though it has sweet flesh. Its flesh has a sweet flavor which makes it great for raw consumption.

32. Cheese Pumpkin

sandiegoseedcompany

This pale pink pumpkin is an heirloom variety closely related to butternut squash. It is ideal for baking, steaming, and for pie-making.

33. Buttercup

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123rf/adamovd

It has a similar shape to acorns but doesn’t have peculiar ridges. This squash has yellow-orange flesh and a sweet, creamy texture.

34. Acorn

caramelandparsley

It has an acorn-like shape with yellow-orange flesh. Thanks to its lightly sweet and mild taste, you can bake it or use it in soups.

35. Carving Pumpkins

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starofnature

Also known as field pumpkin, it has stringy flesh. This variety grows large with thin skin, making it perfect for carving.

36. Angel Hair

zenofplants

A hybrid variety of Spaghetti squash, the plant produces egg-shaped squash with a dark yellow rind, covering the sweet and nutty yellow flesh.

37. Futsu Black

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aurginarurgin

With its ribbed warty skin, the Futsu Black features a unique look. The creamy orange flesh is pressed into purees and pies for its fruity flavor.

38. Honey Boat

gardening_mom75

Oblong fruits with tan skin and green stripes, Honey Boat, has a nutty-sweet flavor that goes pretty well in jams, jellies, and syrups.

Look at some pumpkin planter ideas for fall decorations here

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