Plants

zucchini

Cucurbita pepo L.

Family: Cucurbitaceae · Genus: Cucurbita

courgette

Placenta I Ground cover No biomass production

zucchini — Various · CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons

Annual cucurbit grown for its immature green fruit. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3 (occupies the low stratum during growth). 60–80 day cycle.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage: Placenta I
Ecological role: Pioneer
Primary stratum: Ground cover
Strata: Ground cover
Biomass class: No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: Moderate
Drought tolerance: Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance: Low
Soil pH range: 5.5–6.8
Preferred soil texture: Sandy, Loamy, Clayey
Hardiness zones: 10–11
Frost tolerance: 0.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height: 0.2–0.6 m
Recommended spacing: 0.6–1 m
Root system: Taproot
Root depth: Shallow
Growth rate: Very fast
Lifespan: ≤ 1 year
Time to first harvest: 2 months

Biomes & climate

Atlantic Forest Suitable
Cerrado Suitable

Köppen classes

Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) Suitable
Subtropical with dry winter (Cwa) Suitable
Humid subtropical (Cfa) Suitable

Where it fits in a guild

Zucchini takes the Ground cover stratum in the Placenta I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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🪴 Cultivation

Fast-growing, early-fruiting annual grown for its immature green fruit. Needs full sun and rich, well-drained soil; frost-tender, requiring a minimum of about 13 °C to germinate. Bush (non-vining) forms take up less space than trailing forms.

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of zucchini?

The first harvest of zucchini comes around 2 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for zucchini?

The recommended spacing for zucchini is 0.6–1 m.

How tall does zucchini grow?

At maturity, zucchini reaches 0.2–0.6 m tall.

What stage and stratum does zucchini occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, zucchini belongs to the placenta i stage, occupying the ground cover stratum.

Functions

🍎 Fruit

Propagation

Seed

Citations

Pasini, F. & Guimarães, L. (2017) — Tabela 3 (Incaper) , p. 116 (primary_stratum)
Plants For A Future (PFAF) — Cucurbita pepo (ph_min, ph_max, hardiness_zone_min, hardiness_zone_max, frost_tolerance_c, soil_texture_preference, light_need, cultivation_notes, growth_rate)
Useful Tropical Plants / cucurbit root habit — Cucurbita pepo (root_system, root_depth, waterlogging_tolerance, spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m)