Bloomipedia
Buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima)
Photo: Rupert Clayton via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Buffalo gourd

Cucurbita foetidissima

Buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) is a vine in the Cucurbitaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Buffalo gourd is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–August.

22states where USDA records it
4Bloomipedia state lists include it
17,295U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

Quick look

Cucurbita foetidissima is a tuberous xerophytic plant found in the central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has numerous common names, but is most commonly called the buffalo gourd in English. The type specimen was collected from Mexico by Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland sometime before 1817. In Latin, foetidissima means most unpleasant smell.

  • It belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a vine with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 22 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas. NatureServe
  • In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
  • In New Mexico, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–August. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as summer. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 6,727 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #99 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,098 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #15 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 450 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #80 among the 159 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (560 records)
Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
TexasNativeApril–July6,727
New MexicoNativeMay–August2,098
OklahomaNativefew records (8)450
KansasNativefew records (10)394

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
New Mexico
Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: WY (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Yellow-Flowered Gourd” (Cucurbita species), which covers the whole genus, lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records buffalo gourd in 22 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Texas counties with USDA records: Bandera, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brewster, Brown, Burnet, Carson, Comal, Concho, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Dallam, Dawson, DeWitt, Donley, El Paso, Erath, Garza, Gillespie, Hardeman, Harris, Hays, Hemphill, Hill, Hudspeth, Irion, Jeff Davis, Karnes, Kerr, Kimble, Lampasas, Llano, Loving, Mason, McCulloch, McLennan, Menard, Mills, Pecos, Presidio, Randall, Reagan, Real, Reeves, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Sutton, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Tom Green, Travis, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Wichita, Williamson.

New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Chaves, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Eddy, Guadalupe, Harding, Lincoln, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Miguel, Sandoval, Socorro, Union.

Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Cimarron, Cleveland, Custer, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harper, Jefferson, Kay, Kingfisher, Major, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Payne, Stephens, Texas, Tillman, Tulsa, Woods.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Buffalo gourd a high shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 7.0 to 8.8 and winter lows down to -20 °F.

Shade tolerance
High
Drought tolerance
High
Moisture use
Low
Soil textures it is adapted to
coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range
7.0 to 8.8
Minimum temperature tolerated
-20 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum)
160
Annual precipitation range
5 to 41 inches
Minimum root depth
12 inches
Salinity tolerance
Low
Fertility requirement
Low
Growth rate
Rapid
Lifespan
Moderate
Active growth period
Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed
Yellow · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by
bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability
Contracting Only

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CUFO. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Pepo foetidissima.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 294 counties across 21 states; the most are in Kansas (83), Texas (60), Oklahoma (25).

More from the Cucurbitaceae family (7 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Chilicothe, California manroot, Coastal manroot, Creeping cucumber, Bitter melon, Oneseed bur cucumber, Ivy gourd.

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Sources