VegetableSquash
Scallop Yellow Bush Squash
Scallop Yellow Bush Squash brings colonial American heritage to your garden in the form of cheerful, flying-saucer-shaped fruit that matures in just 40-49 days. These heirloom open-pollinated squash produce generous yields on compact bush plants that stay 24-30 inches tall, making them surprisingly manageable in any garden layout. The flat, scalloped yellow fruits are tender and mild, equally at home stuffed whole or sliced thin for grilling. Thriving in zones 3-13 with full sun and spacing just 36 inches apart, this variety offers serious productivity without demanding much fuss.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
30 in
Height
Spacing
36
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-13
Size
30in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
The scalloped edges and flying-saucer silhouette make these yellow squash instantly recognizable and genuinely striking in the garden. Harvested small, they deliver tender flesh with a mild, approachable flavor that tastes equally good grilled, sautéed, or stuffed whole. This is a genuine heirloom domesticated by Native Americans centuries ago and documented in colonial literature from the 1700s, yet it grows with almost aggressive ease on compact bush plants that reward even novice gardeners with abundant harvests in under seven weeks.
Common Uses
These squash excel when harvested at smaller sizes and prepared by the methods their scalloped shape invites. Stuffing the whole fruit creates an elegant presentation and allows the tender flesh to cook gently around a filling. Grilling thin slices highlights their mild flavor without overwhelming it. Sautéing brings out subtle sweetness, and the fruit can also be roasted or prepared raw in salads when young enough.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Sow seeds outdoors directly into the garden after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed. Plant seeds where they will grow, as squash transplant reluctantly.
Harvesting
Pick fruit when they reach 3-4 inches across, while the skin is still tender and before they grow too large and fibrous. At this size, the flesh is most tender and the mild flavor is at its best. The scalloped edges and flattened shape make these easy to spot among foliage. Harvest regularly to encourage continued production; leaving mature fruit on the plant signals the plant to slow flowering. Cut fruit from the vine rather than pulling, and expect harvest to begin around day 40-49 after planting, continuing through summer until frost arrives.
Growing Calendar
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Cucurbita pepo
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cucurbita
Native Status
L48 (NI)PR (I)CAN (W)
History & Origin
“Scallop or Patty Pan Squash carries deep roots in North American agricultural history. Native Americans domesticated this variety long before European colonization, and by the 1700s, it had become established enough in colonial gardens to be documented in period literature and accounts from early American settlements. Northern tribes cultivated it as a reliable crop, and the variety has survived as an open-pollinated heirloom precisely because generations of gardeners found it worth saving and replanting. Its presence in seed catalogs today represents an unbroken chain of cultivation spanning centuries.”