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Speckled Swan Gourd

Scientific name Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.

About this variety

Speckled Swan grows a rounded body and curving neck that suggest a resting swan. Fresh gourds are green with pale speckles, making a striking harvest before the shells dry to tan. The vigorous vines need a long warm season and plenty of space, or sturdy support built for their weight. Cured shells can be cleaned, painted or carved,...

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Alliance of Native Seedkeepers  |  SKU: GD8
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At a glance

The facts most gardeners need first

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10 minimum seeds per packet
Gardener experience

Moderate

Germination difficulty

Easy to moderate

Germination time

7-14 days at 75–90 °F seed-zone soil temperature

  • Germination
    7-14 daysa seed-zone soil temperature of 75–90 °F
  • Maturity
    110-119 DaysCounted from warm direct sowing or equivalent established transplant.
  • Sun
    Full sun
  • Support and spacing
    Trellis recommended · space 24 in · rows 72 in
  • Growth habit
    Vining or climbing · Annual · 97–120 in tall
  • Best use
    productive warm-season beds, trellises or sprawling vines, kitchen use, and seed saving
Secure checkout Details
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Triple-tested seed qualityRegular quality and germination checks support every packet.

We regularly test seed quality and germination as lots move through storage and packing. We stand behind the seed we send and want customers to contact us when a packet does not perform as reasonably expected.

1-year seed warrantyCoverage begins on the date of purchase.

When properly stored, planted, and cared for, we guarantee reasonable germination and true-to-type growth for one year from the date of purchase. Conditions outside our control—including extreme weather, pests, unsuitable storage, and gardener error—are excluded. Contact us when something is not right so we can review the situation and work toward a replacement, refund, or another fair resolution.

Non-GMO / BE seed policyWe do not buy or sell genetically engineered or bioengineered seed.

Every seed variety we sell is non-GMO.

USDA’s National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard defines bioengineered foods as containing detectable genetic material modified through in vitro recombinant DNA methods in ways not achievable through conventional breeding or found in nature.

  • Hybrid means parent lines were conventionally crossed; hybrid does not mean GMO.
  • Heirloom and open-pollinated describe how a variety is maintained and reproduced.
  • Organic certification is separate and is shown only when verified for the individual product.

Read how we define heirloom, hybrid, and GMO/BE seed · USDA BE Standard

Packed in Colerain, North CarolinaPrepared in our seed room for gardens across the country.

Seeds are packed and shipped from Colerain, North Carolina. Our packets use forestry-certified paper, and we use recyclable paper mailers where appropriate. AONSK is also a 1% for the Planet partner while continuing to reduce waste in packing and fulfillment.

Seed & Garden Calculators

Need a plan for your space?

Use the garden-fit planner and soil calculator to turn the recorded growing facts into a practical plan.

Open Seed & Garden Calculators Uses this product’s recorded growing information. Local weather and garden conditions may vary.

Variety field guide

What to expect from Speckled Swan Gourd

Speckled Swan grows a rounded body and curving neck that suggest a resting swan.

Open the complete descriptionHide the complete descriptionVariety traits, flavor, garden use, and the complete description

Speckled Swan grows a rounded body and curving neck that suggest a resting swan. Fresh gourds are green with pale speckles, making a striking harvest before the shells dry to tan. The vigorous vines need a long warm season and plenty of space, or sturdy support built for their weight. Cured shells can be cleaned, painted or carved, keeping the garden's curious shapes on display long after summer.

Minimum seeds per packet: 10 seeds.

Swan-shaped gourds for autumn displays and crafts.

Variety and background

Fresh Speckled Swan gourds are green with lighter speckling. Mature shells become tan as they dry; a white fresh-fruit description was incorrect.

Growing facts

Scientific name Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.
Life cycle Annual
Maturity / harvest basis 110-119 Days
Seed depth 1 in
Germination 7-14 days
Germination temperature 75-90 F
Plant height / spread 97–120 in
Habit Vining/Climbing
Plant spacing 24 in
Row spacing 72 in
Sunlight Full sun
Pollination type Open-Pollinated (OP)

Starting from seed

Start indoors 3-4 weeks before last frost, 1 in. deep, or direct sow after frost in warm soil. At 75-90 F allow 7-14 days. Set 24 in. apart, rows 6 ft. apart. Give sun, fertile soil, even moisture and a strong trellis or room to sprawl.

Planting and care

Start indoors 3-4 weeks before last frost, 1 in. deep, or direct sow after frost in warm soil. At 75-90 F allow 7-14 days. Set 24 in. apart, rows 6 ft. apart. Give sun, fertile soil, even moisture and a strong trellis or room to sprawl. Fresh Speckled Swan gourds are green with lighter speckling. Mature shells become tan as they dry; a white fresh-fruit description was incorrect.

Harvest and use

Let gourds mature on the vine until stems brown and dry; cut with a short stem attached. Cure in a dry, airy place for several months, until light and seeds rattle. For seed, isolate other L. siceraria; save fully mature, dry seeds.

Saving seed

Seed saving for Speckled Swan Select several healthy, true-to-type plants so the saved lot represents the variety rather than one unusually early or large individual. Squash and gourds are insect-pollinated and cross readily with other varieties of the same species. Confirm the species identified for this crop, then isolate by distance or controlled hand pollination. Mark seed fruit and let it reach full biological maturity; summer squash must become large and hard, winter squash must develop full rind color, and luffa or hard-shell gourds must mature well beyond the edible stage. Cure sound fruit before extraction when the crop benefits from curing. Remove, wash, and dry seed to a hard, storage-ready condition. Maintain several representative plants and record species, population, isolation, fruit selection, curing, cleaning, and test date.

Common problems

Watch Speckled Swan for cucumber beetles, squash bugs where applicable, aphids, powdery or downy mildew, bacterial wilt, crown rot, poor pollination, and fruit damage on wet soil. Rotate cucurbit crops, provide airflow, water at the root zone, protect young plants before flowering, and remove covers when blossoms need pollinators. Do not work wet vines.

Frequently asked questions

What distinguishes this selection?
Fresh Speckled Swan gourds are green with lighter speckling. Mature shells become tan as they dry; a white fresh-fruit description was incorrect.

How should I start it?
Start indoors 3-4 weeks before last frost, 1 in. deep, or direct sow after frost in warm soil. At 75-90 F allow 7-14 days. Set 24 in. apart, rows 6 ft. apart. Give sun, fertile soil, even moisture and a strong trellis or room to sprawl.

When and how should I harvest?
Let gourds mature on the vine until stems brown and dry; cut with a short stem attached. Cure in a dry, airy place for several months, until light and seeds rattle. For seed, isolate other L. siceraria; save fully mature, dry seeds.

Can I save seed?
Seed saving for Speckled Swan Select several healthy, true-to-type plants so the saved lot represents the variety rather than one unusually early or large individual. Squash and gourds are insect-pollinated and cross readily with other varieties of the same species. Confirm the species identified for this crop, then isolate by distance or controlled hand pollination. Mark seed fruit and let it reach full biological maturity; summer squash must become large and hard, winter squash must develop full rind color, and luffa or hard-shell gourds must mature well beyond the edible stage. Cure sound fruit before extraction when the crop benefits from curing. Remove, wash, and dry seed to a hard, storage-ready condition. Maintain several representative plants and record species, population, isolation, fruit selection, curing, cleaning, and test date.

Seed & Garden CalculatorsOpen the garden-fit planner, planting-window questions, or soil calculator only when useful

Uses this product’s recorded growing information. Local weather, soil, and garden conditions may vary.

Garden-fit planning for this variety

Will Speckled Swan Gourd fit your garden?

Check vine space, warmth, pollination, water, support, and harvest use. Start with the essentials, then open only the detail groups that matter to you.

Rules-based · no AI · optional answers

Add an optional ZIP code and planting date for a broad frost-window check.Use local forecasts and measured soil temperature for final planting decisions.
1Essential fitTiming, light, and space
2Temperature and exposureOptional microclimate detail
3Soil, drainage, and waterRoot-zone readiness
4Questions for this vining crop seedCrop-specific decisions
5Seed-starting fit and patienceMatch the propagation work
Recorded product profileSome experience is helpfulStraightforward in the recorded warm temperature rangeRead why
Soil test, pH, drainage, and amendment calculator Have a laboratory soil report? Enter pH, nutrients, texture, bed size, and site observations here. Open soil tools
Recorded soil typeLoamy
Recorded pH range6.0–6.5
Water needsModerate
LightFull sun

Laboratory report interpreter

Soil readiness for Speckled Swan Gourd

Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.

Enter only the values your report provides. The result compares them with this crop’s recorded needs and keeps laboratory recommendations authoritative.

Core report valuesStart here
Advanced laboratory valuesOptional method-aware detail

Full growing record

Complete growing and seedkeeping record

Starting and plantingSeed preparation, sowing, germination, transplanting, spacing, and early establishment
Start indoors 3-4 weeks before last frost, 1 in. deep, or direct sow after frost in warm soil. At 75-90 F allow 7-14 days. Set 24 in. apart, rows 6 ft. apart. Give sun, fertile soil, even moisture and a strong trellis or room to sprawl. Fresh Speckled Swan gourds are green with lighter speckling. Mature shells become tan as they dry; a white fresh-fruit description was incorrect.
Season-long growing guideWater, fertility, support, weather response, pollination, containers, and care through maturity
Start indoors 3-4 weeks before last frost, 1 in. deep, or direct sow after frost in warm soil. At 75-90 F allow 7-14 days. Set 24 in. apart, rows 6 ft. apart. Give sun, fertile soil, even moisture and a strong trellis or room to sprawl.
Harvest, storage, and usesRecognizing maturity, harvesting cleanly, handling, storage, and crop-appropriate uses

Harvest and storage

Let gourds mature on the vine until stems brown and dry; cut with a short stem attached. Cure in a dry, airy place for several months, until light and seeds rattle. For seed, isolate other L. siceraria; save fully mature, dry seeds.

Seed saving for Speckled Swan Select several healthy, true-to-type plants so the saved lot represents the variety rather than one unusually early or large individual. Squash and gourds are insect-pollinated and cross readily with other varieties of the same species. Confirm the species identified for this crop, then isolate by distance or controlled hand pollination. Mark seed fruit and let it reach full biological maturity; summer squash must become large and hard, winter squash must develop full rind color, and luffa or hard-shell gourds must mature well beyond the edible stage. Cure sound fruit before extraction when the crop benefits from curing. Remove, wash, and dry seed to a hard, storage-ready condition. Maintain several representative plants and record species, population, isolation, fruit selection, curing, cleaning, and test date.

Uses and garden roles

Speckled Swan grows a rounded body and curving neck that suggest a resting swan. Fresh gourds are green with pale speckles, making a striking harvest before the shells dry to tan. The vigorous vines need a long warm season and plenty of space, or sturdy support built for their weight. Cured shells can be cleaned, painted or carved, keeping the garden's curious shapes on display long after summer.

Let gourds mature on the vine until stems brown and dry; cut with a short stem attached. Cure in a dry, airy place for several months, until light and seeds rattle. For seed, isolate other L. siceraria; save fully mature, dry seeds.
Seed savingSelection, pollination, isolation, full maturity, cleaning, drying, labeling, and storage
Seed saving for Speckled Swan Select several healthy, true-to-type plants so the saved lot represents the variety rather than one unusually early or large individual. Squash and gourds are insect-pollinated and cross readily with other varieties of the same species. Confirm the species identified for this crop, then isolate by distance or controlled hand pollination. Mark seed fruit and let it reach full biological maturity; summer squash must become large and hard, winter squash must develop full rind color, and luffa or hard-shell gourds must mature well beyond the edible stage. Cure sound fruit before extraction when the crop benefits from curing. Remove, wash, and dry seed to a hard, storage-ready condition. Maintain several representative plants and record species, population, isolation, fruit selection, curing, cleaning, and test date.
Pests, diseases, and troubleshootingPrevention, diagnosis, environmental disorders, common damage, and first-response checks
Watch Speckled Swan for cucumber beetles, squash bugs where applicable, aphids, powdery or downy mildew, bacterial wilt, crown rot, poor pollination, and fruit damage on wet soil. Rotate cucurbit crops, provide airflow, water at the root zone, protect young plants before flowering, and remove covers when blossoms need pollinators. Do not work wet vines.
Frequently asked questionsDecision-focused answers that supplement the detailed guides above
What distinguishes this selection?
Fresh Speckled Swan gourds are green with lighter speckling. Mature shells become tan as they dry; a white fresh-fruit description was incorrect.

How should I start it?
Start indoors 3-4 weeks before last frost, 1 in. deep, or direct sow after frost in warm soil. At 75-90 F allow 7-14 days. Set 24 in. apart, rows 6 ft. apart. Give sun, fertile soil, even moisture and a strong trellis or room to sprawl.

When and how should I harvest?
Let gourds mature on the vine until stems brown and dry; cut with a short stem attached. Cure in a dry, airy place for several months, until light and seeds rattle. For seed, isolate other L. siceraria; save fully mature, dry seeds.

Can I save seed?
Seed saving for Speckled Swan Select several healthy, true-to-type plants so the saved lot represents the variety rather than one unusually early or large individual. Squash and gourds are insect-pollinated and cross readily with other varieties of the same species. Confirm the species identified for this crop, then isolate by distance or controlled hand pollination. Mark seed fruit and let it reach full biological maturity; summer squash must become large and hard, winter squash must develop full rind color, and luffa or hard-shell gourds must mature well beyond the edible stage. Cure sound fruit before extraction when the crop benefits from curing. Remove, wash, and dry seed to a hard, storage-ready condition. Maintain several representative plants and record species, population, isolation, fruit selection, curing, cleaning, and test date.
History and provenanceBotanical identity, cultivar history, regional or cultural context, uncertainty, and source records

Scientific name: Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.

Common name: Ornamental gourd

Cultivar or variety: Speckled Swan

Fresh Speckled Swan gourds are green with lighter speckling. Mature shells become tan as they dry; a white fresh-fruit description was incorrect.

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