How to Tell Male Flowers From Female Flowers in Squash

Here, a male flower appears next to a squash fruit.

Squash plants have a monoecious flowering habit, meaning the plants produce separate male and female flowers. Flowers of both genders have similar coloring, but they differ in appearance. Male flowers often appear first on the vines. The edible flowers of both sexes are ready for harvest from the plants before the crop of fruits, providing an early garden treat. The female flower fades and drops away from the maturing squash fruit, leaving a healed scar on the ends of the fruit.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp tool
• Bowl
• Ice

Instructions

1. Look for flowers with a round ovary at the base of the bloom, as female flowers produce the fruits of the plant. These bulbous growths are the immature fruits of the plant. Female flowers may also have a thicker stem and appear closer to the main vine than male flowers.

2. Identify the male flowers by looking for a long, slim appearance and lack of the marble-shaped ovary at the base of the flower. Male squash blossoms are more numerous, may form first on the plants and may be found growing farther out from the main vine.

3. Collect the flowers while they are open; the middle of the day is a good time for harvest. Use a sharp tool to cut the flowers from the plant. Check for the presence of bugs, then rinse the flowers well. The University of Illinois Extension suggests storing blooms in a bowl of ice water in the refrigerator. Use within two days.

4. Gather both male and female flowers, including the immature fruits, to use in a variety of dishes. Squash blossoms may be eaten raw or cooked. Cover the flowers in batter for frying or toss fresh flowers into a salad. Harvest of the male blossoms leaves female flowers on the plant to form fruits; be careful not to collect all of the male blooms, as their pollen is required to fertilize the female flowers. The blooms of any variety of summer or winter squash may be eaten.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant squash in late spring, after the danger of even light frosts has passed. Squash is a warm season crop, requiring soil temperatures of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit to germinate. Plant the seeds of vining squash 1/2 inch deep and 2 inches apart in rows separated by 2 to 3 feet of space, or in hills of up to four seeds with 5 to 6 feet between the hills. Bush-type squash plants require less space---only 2 to 3 feet between plantings.

• Take care to remove any protective coverings, such as row covers, once flowering begins. Otherwise, insects will not be able to access the flowers to perform pollination. Bees often serve as the pollinators for squash plants.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow -- Summer Squash
• University of Minnesota Extension; Growing Zucchini and Summer Squash in Minnesota Home Gardens; Vincent A. Fritz, et al.; 2009
• Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet; Growing Squash and Pumpkins in the Home Garden; Ted W. Gastier

Resources

• Clemson Cooperative Extension; Summer Squash; Bob Polomski, et al.; March 2000
• Purdue University Extension; Pollinating Squash by Hand; Rosie Lerner