Bottle Gourd (lagenaria siceraria) 24 seeds (4 gram/24 + count)
This night blooming gourd sends out a powerful vine, up to thirty feet in length, growing at a fast rate. Numerous striking white flowers emerge as the summer heats up, with fruit forming shortly after.
Sow seeds after soil temperatures reach 70 F, 1/2 inch deep, 2 feet apart.
Nicking the seed coat with a pair of clippers may improve germination.
Gourds mature in 120 days, and may be harvested while green and used like a summer squash. Discard the pulp around the seeds, as this is inedible, and purgative.
Seeds have potential as oil seeds, with up to 45% (edible) oil content.
Dried gourds may be used to craft anything from soup ladles to bird houses - VERY useful!
Squash lovers with vine borer woes may take heart: Vine borers do not have any interest in this plant at all.