Are you growing pumpkins this year? Watermelon? Squash? Any type of large vining edible?
Have you looked inside the flowers?
![female-flower.jpg female-flower.jpg](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-jmzfi5zcr2/product_images/uploaded_images/female-flower.jpg)
That picture up there? That is a female flower. The one below is a male. See the difference? She's loaded inside while he is kind of a single long stamen.
![male-pumpkin-flower.jpg male-pumpkin-flower.jpg](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-jmzfi5zcr2/product_images/uploaded_images/male-pumpkin-flower.jpg)
Each vine produces a bunch of males before it even wastes time setting the precious female flower and the real surprise of that female is actually outside the petals.
![squash-flower-petal.jpg squash-flower-petal.jpg](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-jmzfi5zcr2/product_images/uploaded_images/squash-flower-petal.jpg)
Have you ever looked behind the flowers? Females have a little mini pumpkin or squash that when fertilized, grows huge and orange (or green or blue or white) and ripens to a perfectly roastable, carveable, edible fruit.
![growing-squash-fruit.jpg growing-squash-fruit.jpg](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-jmzfi5zcr2/product_images/uploaded_images/growing-squash-fruit.jpg)
Can you identify the males and the females? Do you see the baby fruits developing? Pretty fascinating, don't you think?
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Author Chris Link - Published 1-31-2022 |