Buffalo Gourd

As early July rolls around, our buffalo gourds in the garden are looking like, well, like buffalo gourds. Ibervillea lindheimeri is an odd North American native member of the squash family, occurring naturally from Oklahoma south into Northern Mexico. At ground level, it forms a rather nice caudex (swollen plant base), that’s highly prized by caudiciform collectors. In case you didn’t realize it, caudiciforms are sort of a big thing. For example, the Facebook Caudiciform group has over 6,600 followers

The buffalo gourd was traditionally used by early North American settlers. While very bitter to the taste, they are tolerated by small mammals without discriminative taste buds. The roots can also be used to make soap, as well as to make you throw up, if that satisfies a need. Seeds have also been pulverized to create a powder to treat external swelling.

This lanky vine grows to 9′, and forms quite a few small fruit, which turn screaming orange red when they ripen. The genus was named after Pierre LeMoyne Sieur D’Iberville (1661-1706), who in addition to being so honored by this by having this odd genus of eight cucurbit species named after him, also is better known as the founder of what is now, the State of Louisiana. The species epithet honors German immigrant and renown Texas botanist, Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer (1801-1879). Hardiness should be Zone 7a-9b, at least.