VegetableGourd
Caveman's Club Gourd
Ornamental Gourd
Caveman's Club Gourd is a striking heirloom annual that produces architectural gourds unlike anything else in the garden. Each one grows 10-16 inches long with a dark green, shiny exterior and a distinctive silhouette: a rounded base that tapers to a thin neck before shooting straight upward to the stem, like a prehistoric club. Plants mature in 120-129 days under full sun, yielding substantial gourds weighing 7-14 pounds each. Non-GMO and steeped in heirloom tradition, these gourds are as much art as they are harvest.
Photo © True Leaf Market(https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/gourd-seeds-cavemans-club)
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam, Rich Organic Matter
Preferred Temp75-90°F
Growth Stats
PeriodAnnual
TypeVine
Spacing
36-48 inches apart
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
?-?
Size
?in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
High
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Highlights
The silhouette alone makes Caveman's Club unforgettable: a rounded base broadens dramatically, then narrows to an impossibly thin neck before rising straight to meet the stem in an almost sculptural form. Each gourd arrives with a hard, polished dark green exterior that catches the light beautifully. You're harvesting 120 days after planting; the stems turning brown is your signal they're ready. Growing to 10-16 inches and weighing up to 14 pounds, these are substantial plants that command attention on any trellis or sprawling patch.
Common Uses
Caveman's Club Gourds are grown primarily as decorative gourds rather than culinary vegetables. Their striking sculptural form, hard exterior, and long storage life make them prized for fall and autumn displays, dried arrangements, and seasonal decoration. The distinctive shape also appeals to gardeners who grow gourds for craft projects or as conversation pieces in the garden itself.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Mid-summer
First Harvest
Late Summer
Last Harvest
Early Fall
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Sow seeds directly outdoors in spring in full sun after the last frost date has passed. Plant in warm soil and ensure the location receives full, unobstructed sunlight throughout the growing season.
Harvesting
Harvest Caveman's Club Gourds after 120-130 days when the connecting stem has visibly browned. This color change signals that the gourd's exterior has fully hardened and cured. Cut the gourd from the vine carefully, leaving a short stem attached if possible. The shiny, hard exterior should feel solid to pressure; any soft spots indicate the gourd isn't quite ready.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Soil pH Range
6 – 7
Scientific Classification
Cucurbita L.
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cucurbita
History & Origin
“Caveman's Club Gourd, also known as Maranka Gourd, carries the lineage of true heirlooms grown for generations. The catalog notes it as a non-GMO heirloom variety, preserving genetics that have been saved and replanted by gardeners across time. Its distinctive club-like form has made it recognizable and worth saving through centuries of cultivation, passed down through families and seed networks until modern seed companies like True Leaf Market brought it back into accessibility for contemporary growers.”