Agri Leader
Surprise! Florida 'pumpkins' aren't actually pumpkins
RODOLFO ROMAN
Published: October 3, 2012
Halloween and the holidays are around the corner, so some dinner tables will be filled by pumpkin pies and jack-o'-lanterns will be on display almost everywhere.Published: October 3, 2012
Many families will also visit pumpkin patches and snap pictures to share on social media or for memories.
One place well known in South Florida is Little Farm in Homestead.
But there aren't too many pumpkin crops in South Florida due to damage from silver leaf whitefly making the fruit too pale, said Mary Lambert, commercial vegetable extension agent of the University of Florida Miami-Dade County extension office.
"People from the tropics, including Hispanics" are fans of the fruit, she said.
Weather and competition from northern growers is another factor.
However, in South Florida, calabaza is grown. There is a slight difference compared to a pumpkin, Lambert said.
"Calabaza is actually cucurbita moshata, which is the same as butternut squash. The true pumpkin is cucurbita pepo, though many people sell other cucurbits which are cucurbita maxima," she wrote in an email. "If you know what you're looking for, you can tell by the stem end."
She also added that it hasn't been a good time to grow the fruit this year.
Calabaza is a member of the squash family. It is less watery than pumpkin. Aside from pies and decorations, it is also used in soups and stews.
It requires roughly about three months from seeding to harvest.
To grow pumpkins, room is needed for them to grow properly, said Christian F. Miller, commercial vegetable and tropical fruit extension agent.
"Pumpkins come from vines and can be done in either setting but adequate space is required," Miller said.
The fruit has nutritional values. Calabazas packs vitamin A, 246 milligrams of potassium and about 15 milligrams of vitamin C, according to the University of Florida IFAS extension.
In the end, pumpkins are more than a Halloween symbol.
Full of nutrition, the fruit is more than just a decoration.