Pumpkins and squashes have a long-standing relationship with the Colorado landscape. Native squashes were prized by the indigenous people of the Americas. The Puebloan cultures cultivated early forms of summer squashes, pumpkins and winter squashes like acorn and butternut, which were central to the “three sisters” planting method adapted by agrarian tribes.

The three sisters method recognizes the natural symbiosis of corn, beans and squash. The corn grows quickly providing a natural trellis for vining pole beans, which in turn fix nitrogen to help feed the accompanying squash. The exchange of this knowledge with early European settlers was essential to their survival and is a detail often included in tales of the first Thanksgiving.

Prior to 1492, there were no squashes or pumpkins in Europe. They are a uniquely American crop that has been propagated to thrive around the world. Before the advent of refrigeration, thick-skinned pumpkins and squashes were particularly prized due to their remarkable shelf life. They provided essential nutrients during the barren winter months with little need for preservation.

“If stored right, pumpkins and thick rind squashes can last a year,” said Amy Wilson, who lives in the Pikes Peak area and has been growing pumpkins for the better part of a decade. “Some can last several years.

“Gourds and pumpkins are very forgiving. All they need are water and sun…They are a lot of fun to grow.”

For those with limited space, she suggests seeking out bushing varieties.

“The vining variety does require a lot of land,” she said. “They tend to take over.”

Wilson starts seeds indoors around Mother’s Day. They are fast to germinate with spouts often appearing in less than week, and the first true leaves come in around two weeks. If the weather allows it, she hardens off the plants in early June to plant outdoors and often sees the first babies on the vines by Independence Day.

Smaller varieties can yield harvestable fruits by late July with larger varieties taking until September or October.

Joe Brucker of Divide has been growing pumpkins in his yard for a couple years now.

“I had neighbors telling me it couldn’t be done up here, but I did,” he said. “And it was almost like not even trying. I cut up pumpkins at the end of the holidays and threw them out along my rock wall to break down on their own, then low and behold, the plants popped up in the spring.

“I hear this all the time. It’s like the just pumpkins want to grow. They want to be here and can be very self-sufficient.”

Wilson’s initial draw to growing pumpkins was due to the aesthetic.

“I remember going to the market back in Michigan and seeing all the weird kinds of gourds,” she said. “I find them so interesting.”

Today, gourds tend to be more of an ornamental crop than a culinary one. They are carved for Halloween and adorn fall centerpieces. After enjoying a brief moment of attention for Thanksgiving and Christmas, they are not a popular year-round food staple.

But there are many reasons to reconsider the seasonal and ornamental status of gourds. Squashes and pumpkins are a great source of Vitamins A, C and E. They are also rich in potassium, folate and iron. Essential antioxidants like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lutein are abundant. Gourds are low in sugar and starch but high in fiber.

So why are winter squashes so underutilized in food? Well, those thick rinds add a bit of effort to their preparation, as does the removal of a large cavern of seeds that can be difficult to scrape free. Heirloom varieties tend to be very large. And once cooked, they are rather bland without the addition of fat, sugar or salt. However, that blandness is an advantage when added to soups, sauces and stews—having minimal effect on flavor and contributing a huge nutrient boost.

Pumpkins and squashes are commercially grown all along the Front Range, from Boulder to Pueblo. Niche growers can be found throughout Colorado, with a stunning variety available at franchise supermarkets and farmers markets alike.

When one considers the historical context of pumpkins and squashes as an inherently American staple, a new appreciation of their importance aside from aesthetic symbolism comes into view. As Native American and James Beard Award-winning Chef Sean Sherman writes in his book, “The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen,” indigenous ingredients “connect us all to nature and to each other in the most direct and profound ways.”