Sikil – Tropical Zucchini Alternative – Rare!

Sikil is a very exciting new heat tolerant squash native to Belize that may have huge potential for Florida gardeners. Though this crop is ubiquitous to market stalls and small farms in Belize, it appears to be mostly unknown to much of the world, including the US. Sikil is a rampant sprawling vine that produces squash that are harvested young as summer squash. These small squash can be cooked whole and have the texture and flavor of a zucchini. This crop is also farmed for its mature seeds which are an important part of Belizean cuisine.

At the time of writing (July 2022) we would say we don’t know more about this crop than we do know. According to literature, Sikil is not one of the major domestic species of squash. It is a separate species known as Cucurbita lundelliana. This means this is a distinctive species calabaza, Seminole pumpkin and other more well-known tropical squash. Most scientific literature refers to C. lundelliana as an undomesticated plant. We find this proposition very unlikely due to the good quality flesh, lacking bitterness, and the large edible seeds. At the moment we feel this may be an important Mayan domesticate that seems to have been mostly looked over by Western writers. “Sikil” may refer to other kinds of squash seeds in different parts of the Yucatan region that may not be the same thing.

We do know that Sikil is grown in high rainfall areas that have extremely high pest pressure. A friend observed in Belize that where C. moschata type pumpkins failed due to pest pressure, these thrived and produced heavily. This makes this a very interesting potential crop for Florida. Our hope is that for home gardeners this is a viable zucchini alternative. Zucchini is a nightmare to grow in Florida without intensive spraying. Our first crop of Sikil did quite well and produced enough squash for us to offer a limited amount of seed and to get to try eating a few. A friend grew some out on another farm in South Florida with massive production well into the Florida summer. We are enthusiastic about the possibilities for this crop but our observations are based on a limited amount of experience.

This listing is for 10 seeds. Seed count in packs will increase in the future as availability permits. Currently, the price reflects the rareness of this crop. Cucurbita lundelliana.