VegetableSquash
Chirimen Squash
Chirimen Squash is a Japanese heirloom variety that tells the story of Asian vegetable breeding reaching American gardens in the early 20th century. This bronze-orange winter squash produces remarkably prolific vines that yield 8 to 12 fruits each, with individual squash weighing 5 to 11 pounds at maturity. The deep orange flesh is moist and sweet, cooked just like butternut squash. Hardy from zones 3 to 13 and ready to harvest in 90 to 99 days, it's a reliable producer that rewards patient gardeners with an abundant autumn crop.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam, Rich Organic Matter
Growth Stats
30 in
Height
Spacing
48
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
What makes Chirimen special is its stunning productivity; eight to twelve squash per vine is not unusual, making it exceptional for gardeners who want serious yields from limited space. The flesh strikes a perfect balance between moisture and sweetness, and the bronze-orange skin signals when fruits have reached their ideal 5 to 8 pound harvesting window. This Japanese Yokohama type squash arrived in America through Musser Seed Company of Los Angeles in 1922, bringing decades of Asian agricultural tradition into home gardens.
Common Uses
Chirimen Squash is prepared exactly as you would cook butternut squash; the moist, sweet flesh lends itself beautifully to roasting, pureeing for soups, or baking. The size and flesh quality make it well-suited for home cooking rather than commercial processing, and a single squash provides enough flesh for multiple family meals or preservation projects.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds after the last frost date when soil temperature reaches at least 60°F, spacing seeds 48 inches apart or sowing in hills and thinning to final spacing.
Harvesting
Harvest Chirimen Squash when fruits reach the ideal 5 to 8 pound range, which typically occurs around 90 to 99 days after planting. Watch for the bronze-orange color to deepen and fully develop, which signals peak maturity. The skin should feel firm and resist fingernail puncture. Cut fruits from the vine with a sharp knife, leaving a short stem attached, and allow them to cure in a warm, airy location for 10 to 14 days before storage.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Cucurbita moschata
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cucurbita
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)VI (I)
History & Origin
“Chirimen Squash originates from Japan's Yokohama squash breeding tradition, where growers had developed winter squash varieties suited to their climate and culinary preferences. The variety arrived in the United States through Musser Seed Company of Los Angeles, which introduced it to American gardeners in 1922. This timing placed Chirimen at the intersection of early 20th-century seed commerce and the growing American interest in diverse vegetables, allowing a Japanese regional variety to establish itself in American gardens where it has remained a gardener favorite ever since.”