FREE: 5 Buffalo Gourd seeds

The listing, 5 Buffalo Gourd seeds has ended.

Buffalo gourd is a perennial that grows from a large tuberous root. It produces very long stems that trail along the ground for several yards, along which small, round gourds form. The roots, stems, and leaves were used for a variety of medicinal needs and the seeds were eaten.

The plant flowers from July to September and the seeds ripen August to October. To propagate by seed, sow early to mid-spring with rich soil in a greenhouse. Sowing 2 to 3 seeds per pot creates the best results. Germination will take approximately two weeks. After germination, plant outdoors with a frame for protection during its first few weeks outdoors.

The large, roughly triangular leaves of this plant are coarse, almost leathery, and emit what many consider an offensive odor when brushed against. The flower has five yellow petals and measures up to four inches from the base, and the fruit, which is green with white stripes but ripens to a yellowish green, is a globe-shaped gourd measuring 3-4 inches in diameter. The root can measure over one foot in diameter, and is described as spindle-shaped in some sources, thickest in the middle and tapering at each tip. The form of the root, however, is quite variable. Some buffalo gourd roots are over 15 inches wide at ground surface, and then split into two "legs" extending three feet deep, resembling a human form. Buffalo gourd is widespread in open disturbed areas in the Amistad Reservoir area.