Cuban Neck Pumpkin Seeds, Tropical Crookneck Moschata

A rare Cuban-origin crookneck moschata, vine borer resistant, heat tolerant, and almost invisible in U.S. catalogs.

🛡️ Vine borer resistance, the solid stems of Cucurbita moschata can offer some resistance to squash vine borers, but plants still need monitoring for damage.

Cucurbita moschata varieties are generally less susceptible to squash vine borers than many other squash, but damage is still possible. Growing conditions and care matter. Why species predicts survival here.

🌱 Free shipping on seed-only website orders $30+, ships from Newton, Kansas.

✅ Germination Promise: if your seeds fail to germinate under proper growing conditions, contact us within one year and we will replace them or refund your purchase. See the details.

📖 Read our complete growing guide for this variety →

Cuban Neck Pumpkin grew out of a seedstock collected in Cuba and carried back to the United States, where it has been grown out and selected for years, first on a Florida farm for long meaty necks and shelf life, then in the Mid-Atlantic for eating quality, colour and resistance to splitting. It is not an old catalog variety and it is not a commercial cultivar, which is why you almost never see it in American seed catalogs. It is a serious producer and a showpiece on a farmers market table.

The fruit has a long curved neck (which is where the best, seedless flesh is) and a bulb at the blossom end holding the seed cavity. Skin ranges from tan to green-streaked. Flesh is dense, sweet, and a rich deep orange. The long neck is the cook's prize, all solid flesh, no waste.

This variety is Cucurbita moschata. Moschata squash is generally less susceptible to squash vine borer damage than many other squash, but resistance does not mean immunity. Inspect vines for eggs, entry holes, sawdust-like frass and wilting, and continue watching for other pests and diseases.

Will it ripen before frost? Cuban Neck Pumpkin needs 115 to 125 days from sowing. In a typical Newton, Kansas Zone 6b season the first fall frost arrives between October 10 and 20, so direct sow by about May 29 to finish with a two week cushion. Planting later, or gardening in a different zone? Check your own planting window.