VegetableSquash
Lakota Squash
Lakota Squash is a striking heirloom winter squash that combines stunning visual appeal with genuine culinary excellence. This Native American variety produces small to medium teardrop-shaped fruits with a vibrant red-orange rind streaked with dark green, housing sweet, nutty, fine-textured orange flesh beneath. Ready to harvest in 100 to 109 days, it thrives in warm climates across hardiness zones 3 through 13, spreading generously across the garden as an annual vine. Whether you're growing in a field, raised bed, container, or greenhouse, Lakota rewards patient gardeners with fruits that store exceptionally well and deliver impressive flavor when roasted or baked.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam, Rich
Growth Stats
30 in
Height
900 in
Width
TypeSpreading
Spacing
48
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-13
Size
30in H x 900in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
This heirloom variety is as beautiful as it is delicious, with fruits that look almost sculptural with their distinctive teardrop shape and striking red-orange skin striped in dark green. The flesh is notably dense and sweet with a nutty character that deepens when cooked, making it exceptional for roasting and baking. Beyond taste, Lakota shows natural resistance to powdery mildew and squash bugs, traits that matter when you're counting on a reliable harvest. The fact that it stores well means one planting feeds you well into winter, and it grows reliably from the warm southern reaches through cooler northern gardens.
Common Uses
Lakota excels at roasting and baking, where its sweet, nutty flesh and dense texture truly shine. The flesh can be pureed for soups, used in pies and other baked goods, or simply roasted with oil and seasonings as a side dish. Its excellent storage means you can harvest in fall and prepare it throughout winter, extending the season well beyond the garden's growing period.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Sow seeds directly into warm soil (at least 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit) after all danger of frost has passed. Direct sowing is preferable for squash varieties, as they don't transplant well due to their extensive root systems.
Harvesting
Harvest Lakota squash after 100 to 109 days from planting, when the skin has hardened completely and resists puncture from a fingernail. The rind should be fully colored in its distinctive red-orange with dark green streaks. Cut the fruit from the vine with a sharp knife or pruner, leaving 2 to 3 inches of stem attached; this stem helps the fruit store longer by preventing moisture loss and rot at the cut end. Harvest before the first hard frost, as frost-tender plants will be damaged or killed by freezing temperatures. Mature fruits will feel heavy and solid when lifted.
Growing Calendar
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Bloom Time
Mid To Late October
Scientific Classification
Cucurbita maxima
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cucurbita
Growth Habit
Spreading
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)
History & Origin
“Lakota Squash is a Native American heirloom, carrying generations of selection and cultivation within its genes. As an open-pollinated variety, gardeners have been able to save seed from their best plants for decades, preserving the traits that made it valuable to its communities. The teardrop shape and distinctive coloring were refined through careful observation and replanting, making each Lakota you grow part of a lineage stretching back long before the modern seed industry existed. Today, heirloom seed companies maintain this variety precisely because of its proven performance and cultural significance, ensuring that the knowledge of growing and eating Lakota continues forward.”