Researchers at Penn State University are working to understand how the squash bee, originally native to Central America, has moved with humans and agriculture through the last few thousand years. The buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) is native to the Southwestern United States and is helping these researchers compare squash bee visitation to our cultivated varieties, like summer squash (C. pepo) and pumpkins (C. maxima).

The scientific name means “most fetid squash” and this is probably because the leaves have a very strong smell and are very rough and scabrous. This specimen is a root shoot from the specimen from Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Wake County. This species spreads through these tubers, which store a lot of energy and help protect the plant in the winter. The Native American tribes in the Southwest had many uses for this plant, including food, crafts, medicine, and even tack for their horses!